The Republican journal., 1882-11-23
front Doors.
A NEW ENGLAND COUNTRY SKETCH.

BY ANNIE ELIOT.
81 don't believe there are, Dot"
Don't believe what ?'
"There are people living in any of
these houses"
Dot raised her eyes from her inte1min-
able crochcting fora moment, and glanced
up and down the village street 1T
doesn't look much like it," she assented.
We were sitting on the top step OF the
front entrance Of an old farm house in a
Maine village. had been reading, but
had dropped my book, leaned my head
against the door post, and medtated for
some minutes. ! had never imagined
quiet 50 absolute-save for the distant
sound, constant, soothing and magnetic,
OF the unseen breakers, rolling up the
sand below the opposite slope-as the
quiet OF this Maine village street. There
We're houses on every side, Well-to-do-
looking country houses, with ems shad
ing their front doors and front gates but
nobody ever went in or out, no servant
maid shook dust cloth out Of any of the
Windows, no children tumbled over each
other in any of the front yards. There
was dog residing opposite that | was
Watching "a Skye, which seemed to sug-
gest civilization and blue ribbon and city
streets. He trOtted ont a moment ago,
and lay down in the road with an air Of
sullen apathy. There was no society in
side the fence, perhaps there might be
some in the highway. 1t almost seems
as if he was willing to be run over for the
sake of creating a little diversion. But
he soon trOtted back in a subdued man
Nc
his taste. He tried a feeble bark at Il
man in broad hat and a woman il Il
waterproof, but it was not success; lie
felt it was not himself.
dot" said !, ''they talk about the
working New Ell gland farmers Z"
.'Who do ?"
"Oh, they-every body. How can they
work hard in such an atmosphere as this ?
In the rush and competition OF city life it
is natural to work, to he occupied is ones
normal condition."
'It's singular how successfully some
people accustom themselves to an abnor-
MAJ one
If one is not working hard to get
money, one must work hard to get rid OF
1t. But here among these silent houses
and under these elms, and within sound
Of these breakers, work is ont of place
1t is like playing croquet on Sunday-it it
may or may not be wrong. but it is dis
turbing.n
Did you make that up, or did you just
read it?1
II made it up. Don't YOU think it's
rather good ?"
Its not bad"
'Do you notice that whenever a wagon
drives by, it's such an event that We
watch it, from its first appearance down
the road to its final disappearance up the
road with the rapt absorption generally
given to an election parade at home p
I've noticed that you do
~ on seem so much interested in my
speculations that Iii tell you what the
wagons have in them almost without ex-
ceptlon: two women with shade hats and
a halt-grown boy sitting between them
and driving. The women look at us
rather cnriously, but the boy has some
thing better to do. This is the Sabbath
stiffness OF the country. You've heard Of
ii, YOU know"
"The devil you do. Mind your game,
and III mind mine" The words came
living room at our right.
"Ies," said Dot, dryly, ''this is the
Sabbath stiffness of the country"
1t will readily be seen by the most
careless reader of the above conversation
that Dot was given to snubbing me at
every turn. | feel it only due to myself
to state that | am really very nice and
very sensible; but if had not been well
grounded in the facts of the case She
would often have contrived to make me
feel rather foolish. This time, however,
it was difficult not to acknowledge the
force of her satire, and laughed.
-Four men were playing euchre in the
next room. They were our only fellow
b0arders in this out of the way farm
house, and, as we had made out from
their conversation at the table, had come
out for some shooting. They played eu-
chre during most of their odd hours, and
two of them We're always quarreing over
the lead, the play, the deal or the score
one OF the others tries to Gle the air by
genial laugh when words wax too warm.
but it is not etfcctual and the fourth con
tents himself with silence till, weary Of
contention, lie shouts, 81 said Pass.
What do you say?' This brings them
back TO business for the time being
We had been in the house two days,
and we devoted much of our time to
speculations in regard to these four men
They took not the slightest apparent no
tlce Of us though we took breakfast din
ncr and supper at the same table, and
met them az every turn.
"Do you think it would seem odd if |
rang the doorbell opposite, and asked
please, do any folks live here? And if
they do, had they Just as lief come and
stand around in the front. yard few min
utes each day r."
Il don't know said Dot, doubtfully.
at might seem odd in some places, but
perhaps here they always wait to be
urged"
81 shall try it, if we stay here a week.
must know if they always climb the
back fence, so as not to disturb the front
walk when they come to make a real
neighborly sit down visit, and why"
"Why do you let it worry you SOP"
"Because can't help it. I've been in
this place two whole days, and know no
more about my neighbors than | did the
evening | came-and | never want to
know anything more except about my
neighbors. I've laughed and been con
temptuous about the petty curiosity of
country villages, but now-curious! fl
lived here six months I'd know Just how
much this girl gave for her new bonnet
ribbon, and whether or not it was a rem
nant, while if young man went to see
her, I'd go and ring the door bell, and
insist upon knowing his middle name"