Iowa state bystander. [volume] (Des Moines, Iowa) 1894-1916, 1896-12-04
"NElGHBOR JIM. !"

There are some things about my
Neighbor Jim that want to tell. Not
that I y talk about my neigh
bors. but should be talked about.
Jim started in. SO far as our street
is concerned. unfortunately. He was
out Of business and had to take rest
accordingly. He moved into that IA
nous "board-fence house," that IS,
the richest and meanest man In our
village put up a board fence directly
on the line between his land and the
next dwelling, so that he shut out the
view from the windows across MS
own fair lawns and flower>beds. Near
ly every village, alas! has sooner OF
later such spectacle Of bad neighDor
and spleen. Jim took that house win,
its side windows all blank view. II
was empty most of the time and I'M
ally the owner put the rent 50 low
that Jim could take it. We all won
dered who he could be, stranger TO
us, and what sort of a head Of fam
lily to subject his pretty wife and chill
dren to that darkened dwelling. But
inside OF six weeks that board fence
was down! Yes, actually down! jim
had really knocked it down with his
smile. Neighhor Jim always wears
cheerful, genial smile. Everybody
likes to meet him in the morning as
he starts down the street. People ike
to hear him say "Good-mornlng.
There is so much cheer in the tone.
He always asks after your friends and
family. and he knows them by name
after he has once heard them. NO
living man of us ever heard Neighbor
Jim telling any Of his own trouhles'
He never complains of the hard times,
nor the weather. He never got on a
yarn about why he lost his situation,
nor how he got down. We found out
what little we ever knew from other
sources than from him. Nelghbor
Jim never looked on the shady side OF
any mans character. You could sit IN
the car seat with him on the way 10
New York, and you would hear no I'M
kind word from him of anybody.
asked him, one day. If he never en-
tertained an adverse Judgment OF any
man or thing. He said, "Often. But
l keep all that stuff to myself. And
try to forget the evil that hear OF a
man-simply forget It,"
Neighbor Jim listens when you tax
to him. He seems interested. That
~,11 Mig
know that even one grunt Of indiffer-
ence from a neighbor whom you ac-
cost and begin to talk to in store
will dull the edge Of neighborly
feeling, To seem distracted. zeal
and dumb and rude, even once. is to
be voted boar by the man to whom
you show it. You may be tired. may
be oppressed with care; but when
your neighbor begins TO joke and chat,
you must listen. 1t helps YOU, too. to
forget your cares Neighbor Jim is
famous listener. He makes you feel
that he takes an interest in you. !
believe half the men in our village
have at one time or another confided
their troubles to him. He has. how
ever, burdened no man with any OF his
own troubles.
Neighbor Jim is popular with the
small boy. He always speaks to a boy,
not too Familiarity, but in q gentle,
courteous way. He never told any
boys father unpleasant complaints.
I'll tell your father" has made more
trouble between neighbors than any
other, one thing. Our neighbor never
turns round at the Academy Of Mu-
sic to stare reproof at young fellow
who is whispering too loudly, or gig
Cling with his sweetheart Jim just
lets them go on. Jim lets suluo ono
else do the frowning. Some one else
always will. if you wait a little, and
you, like Neighbor Jim, will escape
being disliked by the young things.
Nor did l ever hear that Jim was free
with his opinions as to the desirable
ity Of any match between young peo-
ple, He always seems to think that If
a ~