The times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1882-1897, 1882-12-01

BY MRS. HARRIET A. cHEEvER.

his wife on their broad piazza, enjoy
ing, as they always did now, the
charming outlook from the Groob
man side. Mr.. and Mrs. Groob
man were also sitting on their door
step, enjoying the sights and scents
of their garden.
Mr.. and Madame Slater were view
ing the vegetable garden from their
back-door steps, not considering
themselves exactly presentable before
their neighbors, who now appeared
in neat linen suits in the evening,
while the mother was clad in a pretty
calico or fresh bingham.
"Wife," said the Colonel, 81 be-
lieve III step over and speak to those
folks, and also pay my milk bill. l
dom see" he added, as if making a
great concession, "why they are not
pretty desirable neighbors, after all !;
the parents are wonderfully neat and
industrious the boys attend to their
own affairs, and altogether they
haven't troubled us much.
"Troubled US |" exclaimed Mrs.
Caldwell, hastily. Troubled US
why, those boys are just splendid!
l wish you could hear them talk, and
their mother, too, for that matter.
She is perfect little lady, always
teaching her boys something useful.
Ethel scraped acquaintance with the
little fellow-Carlie, they call him
and she begs and leases all the
time to go into their garden and see
them work."
81 was almost afraid to tell you,"
she added, "but she has actually
coaxed me into letting her go num-
Der of times and the mother as they
call her, has given her seed cakes
and flowers, and the boys make a
perfect little pet of her, and the child
is infatuated with them all. Then
the other night when your gentlemen
friends came SO unexpectedly, the
boys went brands for me and Bridget
says they helped her pick and clean
the chickens, all thought so nice
some of their own raising, too
sBut what surprises me most" the
lady continued, "is their language, |
never before heard boys of their ages
approach them for carfulness or cor
rectness. How can it be? l mag
ined them poor and untaught ; they
say they have had but very little
schooling, but Pm not in the least
afraid to have Ethel hear anything
they say and Pve watched pretty close
on her account"
A few moments before the above
conversation between the Colonel
and his wife, Mr.. Slater had said to
his wife:
'Jane, guess I'll slick up bit
and slip on my other coat and go
have few words with our neighbor
Groobman. 1 wish he'd let me have
a tomato vine or two and some flower
slips, I'd help him garden bit in
pay"
''He won't want any of your help"
was the encouraging reply; but Mr..
Slater donned his "other coat" and
walked into Mr.. Groobman's yard
just as Col. Caldwell seated himself
in a chair brought outside for him.
Mrs. Groobman withdrew and Mr..
Slater seated himself on the door
step and during the two hours the
three neighbors spent in earnest con-
versation, Mrs. Caldwell, from the
broad piazza and Mrs. Slater from the
back-steps, repeatedly wondered what
"those men" found so engrossing to
talk about.
The chief interest in the converse
ton began when Col. Caldwell, with
quite degree of afability, inquired
envy friend, may ! ask where you
learned to understand the habits and
requirements of different plants and
flowers TO the extent you evidently
have1 This place must pay"
ooh, certainly; from my papers"
replied Mr.. Groobman, with slight