The Monitor. [volume] (Woodstown, N.J.) 1884-1892, 1885-01-02

II.
Six months afterwards, on getting into
an omnibus on my way home from the
town, ] found myself next ~neighbor to Mr..
Plumlin. He recognized me at once;
though; in any case, | think should have
spoken to him. One always feels a little
constraint with the stranger to whom one
has sold a house or a horse. We know its
little imperfeetions, which the other gentle
mar does not till he has bought it; and
though there had been nothing particular
ly wrong about Eden Lodge, | felt that as
a residence (even independent of its
musical ~neighbor) it was not faultless. /
took the bull by the horns, however, and
at once observed: Il hope you like your
house, Mr.. Plumlin? pr
YES" lie said quite naturally Thereby
lifting quite a heavy load from my perhaps
too tender conscience). 81 am not one in
any case to cry over split milk, or to com
plain of a completed bargain; besides, being
a builder, you see, why of course, ! did not
expect perfection. There's a little damp
in the front attic, There was] but | fiatter
myself / know how to treat it,: I've just
given it a coat of Paris cement, and that'n
soon be all right.
/ said to myself, 'I1l back the DAMP, :"
but did not pursue the subject. The whole
topic of Eden Lodge was a delicate one,
still | could not conquer my curiosity to
know how he had exercised that little mu-
steal fiend next door; that he had lone it
somehow took for granted, or he would
never have looked 50 cheerful.
'.And how do you like your neighbors,
Nj. Plumlin p
80, pretty well-not, indeed, that l
know much of them" Then, as if moved
by an afterthought he added. ITO be sure
there's that Brown; he's a queer one.
What do you think he's been doing, or
rather his people, for | believe his wife
was at the bottom of it?"
Now" thought | to myself, ''it's COM
ing. Plumlin has had the benefit Of that
piano. | replied, however, with a blush
/ strove in vain to conceal, that | could
not possibly guess what Brown had been
doing.
'Well the fact is Eve a large family,
most of them girls, soof course they are all
for music; they practise ON the piano, one
or other of them. mostly all day long, as is
only natural. Why should't they?"
Why, indeed ," | echoed. An unholy
joy began to fill me. | began think that
all the poets and moralists have taught us
about the retribution that awaits the wick
ed even in this world might not be without
foundation.
Just so, he continued contemptuously,
land yet this man, or his wife-for it looks
like a woman's hand-had the impudence
to write to me one morning. I've got it
somewhere, he observed, parcnthetically,
bringing about forty letters out of his
breast pocket, and selecting one after an
animated search; "Yes, here it is"
He read the letter aloud in the omnibus,
with many interpretations and interjections
of contempt and wrath.
"'Dear Mr.. Plumlin:
lit was like her impudence to begin
'dearing' me, just because she wanted
something, but she little knew j. P."l In
thus addressing myself to you. / am rely
ing upon our relations as friendly neigh
bors, and by no means urging a legal right.
illegal right, indeed, | should think not;
| should like to see her trying legal rights
with me upon a matter of that kind II
".In the eye of the law an English
mans house is his castle, and he can, if he
pleases, fire royal salute's from its battle
ments night and day. Jewell, of course
he can't Unfortunately, my wife is so
constituted that noise, such as constant
piano playing
"Now, did you ever hear such a thing as
that ?" inquired Mr.. Plumlin, laughing
wildly. "As if l had anything to do with
his wife's constitution. Well, to cut a long
story short, the lady objected to 'noise;'
not very complimentary, said Mrs. p, to
call our girls piano playing noise; but
that's by the way. It's her GOODNESS that
fetches me. Did you ever see such a let
ter?r
Newer" | said, ''or hardly ever" l
was obliged to put that in because | recog-
nized, as far as it had gone, in Mrs.
Browns plaintive appeal the very epistle
had addressed to her. She had copied it
out verbatim, without the least respect for
the laws of copyright, but not, | hope,
without bitter reflection that she herself
had once turned a deaf ear to it's touching
eloquence.
"And what did you reply to her?"
inquired, with irrepressible curiosity.
''Reply to her?" echoed Mr.. Plumlin.
"Why, what would you, or any other
fellow who was not a born idiot, have re-
piled to her ? wrote to her husband. OF
course, since the letter purported to come
from him, though | knew it did not. and
that gave me a better opportunity of speak
ing my mind. | told him that not only
had he no legal claim, which, indeed, he
had the sense to acknowledge, but that his
application vas preposterons.' "A very
good word to use, was my reflection, and
also one that would be familiar to her.
If you don't like our music | add
4 -...-.l NJ. D1-1- LII. -.