The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1888-01-13
MY NEIGHBOR.
How the End to Her Mischief
Making Came About.

MT stlu Cttli ucu Dil IltTTIcu SOiu
on ten year. Our married life was
about the average, that's twas nuther
happier nor more onfortunit than other
folkses. We he'd our rightful share o
worldly blessins an our proper meas
ure O. trouble, or leastways we thort
SO; ontil our new neighbors moved into
the house acrost the way. AFTER that,
me an my man wus purity well agreed
that our measure O. trouble wus more n
rightly orter fall TO our share, that it
wus heaped up an runnin' over.
Mind now. when 1 say our neigh
bors, don't mean the hull on 'em, not
him nor the young ones. they wus we'll
enough in their way; but her, Mrs. Pos
sumnose.
The Possmnoses he'd lived near
neighbors to us nigh onto year be-
fore we got properly acquainted with
them. That is to say, I'd called there
when they fust come an she'd bin to
our house; but 'twan't no regular visit
in acquaintance. I'd kind O fit agin
Seth gein' there overly much of even
ms. not that knowed emmy thing
agin her, bless yer heart, no! But twas
as eff he'd a sort ov uncomfortable
fcelin', Or a warnin' voice like. that
KEEP a tellin' me inwardly that the less
we he'd to do with her the better 'twould
be fer us in the end.
Wall. by-'n-by Civil be year come
the middle O. next july. my little boy
WIS took sick with the scarlet fever
About the same time Seth broke his
arm tippin' over with a load of hay.
l felt dretful worretted about both
on 'em. and what with all the work to
do. an them to take care on. l he'd my
hands an heart full enough.
The neighbors came i'm an offered a
hclpin' hand an wus kind as could be.
all on 'em, but nobody wus more ready
an willin' to share my burden O
trouble an set up nights an give help
an advice, than Mrs. Possumnose.
wus fetched by her goodness an
took the help she gave willin'ly. cause
/ knowded I'd be on hand to do the
same by her if emmy sickness should
turn up to her house.
BY the Titles my neighbor worked
herself into my confidence, SOS to
mostly overcome my inward dislike
and fear had agin her.. She was so
kind an willin' to do an help. seemed
as eff no sort O. weather could keep her
to hum fer day, while we wus UNDER
goin' our affection, an as eff settin' up
nights to spell me in nussin' the sick
ones WIS only play to her.
It's true, l begin to discover afore a
great while that Mrs. Possumnose made
our bizness her own more'n wus neces-
sary, nor agreeable to me. strictly
speakin'. an l he'd good reason to mis-
trust that all the doin's and sayin's in
our fam ly was kerrid of to the neigh
bors and talked over. an more put
with 'em an changed round till
'twould make yer eyes stick out o yer
head to hear EN- told over.
'Twan't long afore little things I'd
said to Mrs Possumnose wus brung
back to me, twisted into such \ shape
that 1 couldn't hardly tell they wus my
own story.
l begun to wish I'd never Civ her no
chance to come among us. but seein'
she'd bin SO kind an helpful when
we'd he'd sickness, Ccause. let her be
whichever way she might in other
things, / shall alwa's stick up for her
there; she's a fustrate hand in sick
ness.)
1t seemed hard to turn agin her an
break her o comm to our house an
nosin' round what didn't conssrn her.
'Twould ha' seemed so much like as eff
I'd he'd 4 ongrateful dispersishun an
wusn't no hand to rec llect past favers;
an of all failin's. preserve me from
that.
Wall, as time went by. Mrs Postum
nose worked herself into our family
consarns more an more. ar it seemed
like as eff l wus entirely helpless to
prevent ii. Cause why? She couldn't
take no slight hint. an ~ come right