The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1884-05-20
Selerf Stnry.
A CONQUERED ENEMY.

''You are to have the Coopers for
neighbors. ! hear" said Mrs. Bailey as
she stopped on her way "down town" to
chat for a moment over the fence with
her cousin. Mrs Sunderland. "Look
out for squalls!'
Mrs Sunderland paused in her work
of shipping the withered blossoms from
a running rose TO lurn an inquiring
glance toward the speaker.
"Wbat is wrong about the Coopers I
They are homes, ,sober, industrious folks,
are they moi
"All of that, with many other virtues
beside, Mrs Bailey replied, laughing
"Nrvertheless, I'd rather have them live
next door to you than to me"
"Don't be so mysterious" Mrs Sun
derlaHd said, her good.humored face be-
ginning 10 wear slade OF anxiety,
EITHER tell me sll there is to tell or tell
me nothing"
There Is nothing very dreadful to re-
veal, and what there is is no secret. You
would have known Mrs Cooper's repu-
tation as we'll as every body else in Green
vile does il you were not newcomer
She is said 10 be the wors'-tempered wo'
man in town, and has never lived neigh
Dor a month TO any family without get
ting up quarrel with them; therefore
say beware OF squalls."
Mrs. Sunderland did not think that
the dangers her cousin had warned her
to prepare for were Of very seriou;
character, bnt being y woman "wlse in
her generation" she deemed it pruden,
to pour oil upon The waves before any
signs of storm became visible. A day
or two after her new neighbors arrived,
seeing Mrs. Cooper making some en-
deavor to improve the condition Of a
very neglected, garden.patch, Mrs. Sun.
derland stepped to the dividing fence
and begged her neighbor's acceptance OF
basket full of vegetables she had Just
gathered from her own thriving garden.
"It is so laie in the season that I'm
afraid you won't be able to raise much
in your garden this year" sbe said pleas
antly; "and as have more garden-truck
than I can make use of ! shall be glad
to have you help me dispose OF it,"
Mrs. Cooper turned upon her face
ths, certainly was not very prepossessng,
for it was dark, ssllow and scowling, and
when she spoke il was With such mis-
placing Of her aspirales, as at once be-
trayed her to have been at no very dis
tant date subject of q ,een Victoria.
Him much obliged to you, ma'am,
and IS you've hotfered the garden-sass
III accept it; but as general thing me
and my man pays our howu wav, and
don't care to be teholden to nobody"
The lad Charlie she found it much
easier to make friends with; he was
black-eyed youngster of
twelve or thirteen, with head thickly
covered with closely.coiled rings OF au.
burn hair. Noticing him one morning
wheeling away lot of weeds and rub
bish from his mothers garden, Mrs Sun
derland asked him il be would Ike to
perform Tue same service for her, OF
course for remuneration. The offer
was eagerly accepted, and after that
Charley Cooper earned many dime by
little services performed for the widow
Isdv
Frank Sunderland and he became quite
we'll acquainted In the course of these
Iabors, and, as general thing the two
boys got along together remarkably
we'll; but one day some accident hap
pened to Charles wheelbarrow, and he
chose to think Frank was the cause of
the disaster Tue evil temper which bad
hitherto lain dormant sprang suddenly
10 life, and Charlie gave utterance to
such torrent OF profanity as utterly ap-
palled not only Frank, but Franks moth
er, who witnessed the scene from her
kitchen window. She called Frank away
at once, aud after few words of rebuke
to Charlie, spoken far more in sorrow
than in anger. she sent him home, saying
that che could not allow any boy who
swore or used bad language to be the
of her son.
Charlie departed in tears with bis bro
ken wheelbarrow, and probably gave an
account Of the trouble from his own
point of view to his mother, for few
later Mrs Sunderland was star.
tied to see, coming over her back fence,
drst q cabbage, then a peck or so of po-
tatoes, and finally the basket in which she
had that morning sent to Mrs Cooper
the vegetables thus unceremoniously re-
turned An explanslion Of this surpris
ing shower followed In Mrs. Cooper's
voicei
"Hfll thank you halter this TO keep
yourself and hevervthing belonging to
you to yourself. Hif my boy haiu't fit
society for your boy, we don't none OF
US want nothiuk to do with you"
OF course 10 such a speech as this no
civil reply was possible, SO Mrs. Sunder-
land quietly withdrew from the scene OF
action leaving her neighbor in posses.
sion OF the field The predicted quarrel
had come greatly to Mrs. Sunderland's
for to have it known to
the whole town that she was at variance
with her next door neishbor--as, thanks
to Mrs Cooper's unscrupulous tongue,
it speedily was-was felt by the widow
10 be zeal disgrace.
All that she coul do to smooth mat
ters she did, with no effect, however, ex
cept that Mrs. Cooper subsidized gradu-
ally from ferocious into sullen mood.
but lost no opportunity of exhibiting
her dislike and ill-will in the numberless
title wavs which near neighbor can al.
wavs make available
The quarrel between the bows was Of
much shorter duration. In the course
Of few days Charles red head was
again seen bohbing over the division
feEce, and Frank being responsive, the
former intimacy was uoon re-establishad.
When September came and the schools
re-opened the two lads became school
mates and classmates,
Charlie was q bright boy, and lis pa
rents had kept him steadily at school and
were very proud of his attanments; but
though he was two years older than
Frank, the latter was more than his equal
in school-stahding There was no brag
about Frank, however, and there would
probably have been no jealousy on Char
lies side had it not been excited by home