Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1883-12-05


Who is my Neighbour!
The first answer likely to come to tn,
mind woul be that of the Saviour TO ht
lawyer, when he presented the case Of ;
helpless, suffering fellow beng, thereby
illustrating the spirit of universal phian
lhropy
"Making the law of love broad as the race
Restricted not to nation, time or place,
He is my neighbor whom see in need:
He is my neiVhbor who's in want indeed;
lie is my neighDor, be he rich or poor
Who has woe that can kindly cure"
But lere is Il more limited use Of the
word neghbor, which is given by Webster
as lone who lives near another anc
what | wish TO say ut this time come,
under this definition. Farmers are usually
situated so AS to have but few neighborS IN
this sense of the word, and it is not often
for us to say who shall live next door, oi
occupy the farm adjoining ours, 1t is
decidedly u pleasant TO be obliged TO live
by troublesome neighbors. In our efforts
to build up happy homes good neighbols
are great help. When hey will run in
often and unceremoniu-ly to spend an
afternoon or an evening, or if we fee
lonely or discouraged, we can slep across
he way to our nelghbor's, for II friendly
chat and come home with renewed cour.
age. A neighbor who has lived by us
long, who has proved true friend in
sickness and health, in prosperity and
adversely, is bound to us by endearing
ties. Solomon SAID "better is neighbor
=: tb r.,
How often do we see brothers who live
near each O her far less friendly than
strangers; ofen allowing Il few paltry
dollars, or what they may consider AN
intrusion upon their rights, to rob them OF
W hat is really worth a thousand times
more than gold-a true neighbor. Some
people always seem to have good neigh
burs, let them live by whom they viii
May not this be attributable to the friendly
spirit which they themselves possess?
You may all have heard of the man
who sold his home and moved TO another
part OF the country on account of trouble.
some nelghbors. Within half dozen
miles there was scarcely one who could
be called good, almost every kind imagin
able seemed to be located in that partlcu-
lar place. The purchaser, Il stranger,
soon found out the reason Of the place
being sold out, liking it much, he resolved
10 try and see what he could do to make
good nvighbors of such as he had fallen
among. Bearing in mind what st Paul
says, "Let every one of us please his
neighbor for his good to editication,' he
set himself to work There was the
quarrelsome neighbor, always ready to fly
INTO passion upon the provocaLion, and
the iame once kindled would rake up
everything he could find to keep it burn
ing He tried him with the ''soft answer
which turnclh away wralh," and when
ever an opportunity offered, would do
nlm favoreven at his own Inconvenience,
and whenever he met him, would speak
to him as though he we've valued friend.
Ii was not long before the quarrelsome
neighbor was not there. Then there was
The bgoted neighbor who could be neigh
,orly to no one who did not agree with
nim in polotcs or religion. By carefully
,vodlng all subjects upon which he found
uim to be sensitive, and introducing
such subjects to talk about as they could
agree upon, he managed to keep up
friendly intercourse with him. Then the
careless neighbor whose fences were
,lways down and his cattle everywhere
except where they should be; few hours
work. few dollars expended, made
good neighbor of him, as this se' med to
be his only falling There was The bor-
lowing neighbor who had always forgot
return what he borrowed, by borrow
Ing occasionally of him and taking care to
a., I'll,
Die, with numerous apologies II there was
little delay, he soon took the hint, The
light fingered neighbor would hardy
moest the property OF generous and
open handed man as he tried to be. by
meeting his meddesome neighbor hall
way he was kept at Il distance. There
was the independent neighbor who asked
no favors and would grant none. There
was the suspicious neighbor, the news
dealing neighbor, and SO on through the
catalogue. He tried this remedy or that,
as the circumstances seemed to suggest,
and where his effoits failed TO produce the
desired effect he pr actced courtesy at all
times, feeling tnat though his pearls had
been trampled upon he was none the
poorer, and ere long found himself sur
EOunueu Dy aS poou HeiSnoo'' 80 -" ~o''o
wish to have.
Often when our neighbors are at
distance and ourselves numbered with
many cares, we do not visit as we would
like to; we wish them to understand that
if we do not call often we feel neighborly
Another proverb of Solomon reads like
this, "He that hath friends should show
himself friendly" think there must be
an error in the translation, hat it should
read, "He that would have friends should
show himself friendly" If neighbors
would be little more careful about
uttering the has,y words that stir up strife,
or when they hear such words would try
and forget them, knowing that in many
cases such words are regretted as soon as
uttered, there would be less need OF
discussing the question, "Who is my neigh
bor?'
'If men dealt less in stocks and lands,
And more in bonds and deeds fraternal;
If loves work had more willing hands,
To link this world TO the super ma.
If fmen, instead of nursing pride,
Would learn to hate and to abhor il;
If more relied on love, to guide,
The world would be the better for it,
If men were wise in little things,
Affecting less in all their deal ings
If hearts had fewer rested strings,