Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-04-28
M Y N EIG H B 0 R
NAE 9. Trying N SHORT sroRIEA

NAE 8. THYH0 N SHORT eTUR1A
A fatiguing journey up six long. winding
flights Of stairs carried me to the door OF
the room ! occupied In - street; but no
matter for the name Of the street; no one.
am confident, will visit London for the ex-
press purpose Of satisfying himself that
am to be depended upon. and that there u
a house of SO many stories in Lambert
street. Here I lived. in enjoyment Of no
end Of fresh air. especially in winter. and
brilliant prospect up and down the street
and over the roofs Of the houses across the
way.
learning to paint the landscapes and figure
pieces which 1 produce with 30 much ease
and dispose Of with so much difhculty.
At the head of the last flight Of stairs in
my lodging house was q narrow passage
way in which was obliged to stop and re-
cover my breath. after finishing the l39
steps that led to my paradise. before I could
get my key into its lock; and into this
passage way opened two doors. one Of
which. Of course. belonged to my room. and
the other to some one elses. But who this
some one else was, I was unable to find
out Was II O man or woman? / was per-
suaded 1t must be q woman, and as q wo-
man I always used to think OF her ana
speak of her to myself-and thought and
spoke Of her often enough.
OF course, I could have settled the Ques-
ton at once by knocking at her door and
asking for Q match, or by inQuiring OF my
landlord. who occasionally honored me with
a friendly call. but I scorned resorting to
such methods.
Every time heard her door shut I re-
solved she should not 60 out again without
my seeing her, and / nearly fell into the
street as frantically attempted to reach
far enough out Of the window to see her ~
she came out at the street door.
Was she young and pretty and goodf
What did she do? and what was her name?
Ny thoughts were perpetually running up
those SIX flights and stopping banned At her
close-shut door.
drew ideal portraits Of her In my IDLE
moments, introduced them into all my pic
lures. and would often finish out an acci-
dental face In q study Of rocks. much to my
instructors surprise and my fellow stu
dents amusement.
The only communication ever had with
people in the house was an occasional con.
versation with the dust-colored old woman
who cleaned the windows and swept the
halls.
A day came for cleaning my windows
when IL rrined heavily, and could not
give the old woman a clear stage by going
out for a couple of hours, but told her to
clean away and be as lively as she could,
while 1 sat there and painted.
Lodgers, she told me. as she polished up
the panes. came and went SO fast that she
forgot one when another came. and never
knew any of their names.
She had an eye for character, though,
and told me the peculiarities OF some Of
them in q quaint way. mailing her SEN
fences, now and then, with odd hard words.
Independently of the general text.
self quite to 'imself." she said. plants
out queer sasses in boxes all the time, an
some Of 'em on the balcony itself. Praps
e makes kinder tea OF I'm. or root drink.
And who IL in the room below thatr'
I inquired more to make her talk than to
satisfy any curiosity I had on the subject.
'ad Il for a fortnisht-Jews. / fsney-an'
as like one another as two spots O. dirt on
this ere pane o. glass. Spoke q hard-biled
kind @ tongue an was furriners. most like
might have asked her about my next
door neighbor. but refrained for fear my
pretty romance would be destroyed by Q de-
scription Of q middle-aged spinster. who
wore glasses and wrought green roses In
crewel-work.
when she had finished the windows ana
gat hered up her brushes and pals, she
snes at IT her sompe ts The s.
broken through the clouds and rested ten
derby on the STOPPING figure OF the old
woman in her faded rags.
tarily: then aloud. I said: 'wil you come
some time and let me paint you. Maggie7"
'.Mer' she cried, startled.
s s sns al. H. ;ss ss
my enthusiasm rising.
'LawI Why aye want to paint an old
woman like me. Mister Carroll, with
sss pn p4 ks s S 4sf wny don't
painted. though, sometimes, but only to
make 'emselye look young aSen. Ha, har'
It was useless to argue the point with her.
ayes. but I want you. Maggie. win you
conner
Law. IL ye really wanter ave me, IN
come: sir, cause you've been very good ter
The sittinss began the next day, and I
derived much amusement from the old NO.
mans conversation, while / painted away
with might and main, resolved that this
picture should be hung at the salon next
spring; and my imagination even went 30
far as to speculate on the most suitable
style of frame.
At first it was only Of the other dodgers
that old Maggie gossiped, but one day.
when she was looking very tired. I ques-
toned her kindly about herself, and she
finally told me her story.
The old woman had evidently taken a
great fancy to me, and / wish I could re-
member the quaint words in which she told
me of her girlhood in London, and her
courtship by q mar, poor like herself. though
much above her in stations newspaper
writer, she said he was.
when we were first married. we took
little country 'ouse that made me think of
q billed dinner, for twas painted in red, an
green, an deep yeller-jest like that paint
your mixin' up now-carrotty. Then the
baby came"
during the rest of the story she dropped the
abrupt witticisms for tremulous eager
ness.
Ibid ye know I 'ad a son, Mister Car
rollr'
No" :! answered: intent on my work;
"'Es a rich man now. an q gentleman"
she said, proudly, and yet with a wistful-
Eess that made me glance quickly at her
face.
If could only get that expression, I
thought: and went to work with perfect
frenzy on the face.
How is 1t that you are not q fine lady
then, Maggie?' 1 asked.
That's what ed make meme, dye carr
who's scrubbed floors for thirty year! But
ia only shame i'm, an folks d say. Dear.
womanr An then ED only be ashamed O.
me. No. no. no, couldn't stand that, an
toll i'm So"
There was an awkward pause, In which I
could think of nothing to say to the Door
thing, so glanced at her compassionately,
and thoughtfully' mixed some sepia on my
palette.