Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1888-08-06
gadies' Column.
Neighbors.

she values above all things outside
of her family, she will say, without
any hesitation, "Neighbors
| do not mean to imply that Mrs.
Thorne is ssgadabout, who spends
the better part of her time gossip
ing over her neighbours fence, and
surmising the doings of Mr.. and
Mrs. So-and-So, but there is a warm
corner in Mrs. Thorne's heart for all
neighborly nighbors.
Years ago Mr.. Thorne was ON a
ranch in the west, and when he had
built little home Mrs. Thorne left
her mothers eastern home to Join
him.
She packed useful and useless ar
ticles into the large trunk that her
mother insisted upon purchasing.
| She left her work box out until the
last moment, $50 that / shall surely
put it on top she explained But
alas for planning Mrs. Thorne
arrived at the settlement minus
the beloved box. OF course, she
sat down and had good cry. What
woman would not?
81 have but two needles and a
spool of white thread,' she sobbed,
"and there is SO much to be done !;
all those aprons that mother cut out,
buttons that are continually dropping
off, and rips and tears that must be
mended. Oh, dear cannot run
out to store here, because there
are no stores. I'll have to begin
housekeeping with two needless
Before the first apron was finished
one of the priced needles was broken.
The other needle was guarded care
fully, as there were ever so many
stitches to be taken for s'that poor,
neglected man." One stormy after
noon Mrs. Thorne was sitting at the
window. The neighbors were few
and far between, and she was WON
dering if any of the ''women folks"
were ever going to call on her.
s'Here Mollie," said Mr.. Thorne
rushing in; ''there's a splinter in
my finger"
She extracted the splinter and
bound up the finger, Mr.. Thorne all
the while fussing around in mans
usual, impatient way.
When the excitement was over the
needle was missing. Mrs. Thorne
went down on her knees, and
looked over every foot of the coarse
ly boarded floor, but it was like
looking for the proverbal needle
in the haystack.
She gave up in despair, and sat
at the window, looking out at the
trees shivering and shaking in the
storm.
Presently she saw woman at the
end of the path vainly struggling
with an umbrella that had seen bet
ter days. Mrs. Thorne almost flew
to welcome her, and by the two
womon's efforts the unruly umbrella
was reduced to submission
Il am Mrs. Radbourne. i heard
my boys say you were alone, so L
came over to keep you company and
be neighborly, and l brought my
sewing" said the visitor, as Mrs.
Thorne removed her wraps.
Mrs. Radbourne put her basket of
sewing on the table, and did not
appear surprised when Mrs. Thorne
with little cry, bounced on a cush-
ion full of assorted needles, and
cried over them in a most childish
manner.
'Indeed, L know how you feel.
brought those over to divide with
you, Mrs. Thorne. Needles are
what | call luxuries out here They
say sharp pointed presents cut friend
ship, but | guess that present won't
keep us from being neighborly."
And over that sewing basket a
long, true friendship was strongly
established, and was never dissolved.
They made plans and exchanged
ideas, as women will, and Mrs.
Thorne always thanked Providence
for her first neighbor.