The Neihart herald. [volume] (Neihart, Mont.) 1890-1901, 1897-05-01
MY NEIGHBOR.

I made her acquaintance through
the accident of renting a small cot
tage for few weeks in a remote Dew
onshire village. / had been over
working, SO the doctors said, and
was now ordered country air and
quiet" both of which I found in the
pretty abode quite the ideal cot
tage of fiction) of which Twas now
temporary owner. Laburnum cot
tage was situated ON the outskirts
of the village, and it's only near
neighbor was a somewhat larger
abode of the same rustic type of
architecture, whose garden, back
and front, was only separated from
mine by a low hedge. l believe the
houses had originally been built for
the occupancy of relatives who wish
ed to be together.
"You will find Mrs. Fraser, the
lady next door, most quiet and in
offensive neighbor," said the house
agent from whom rented my coun-
try abode, and his words certainly
proved true. No noisy pianoforte
performances broke my repose; no
disagreeable exhibition of washing
at home" offended my eyes in the
garden next door. Mrs. Fraser kept
neither dogs, nor pigeons, nor fowls.
She was indeed a model next door
neighbor, as | often reflected, re-
membering my sufferings at the
hands of some of my suburban next
door residents in London. I often
caught a glimpse of Mrs Fraser fit
ting about her garden or sitting at
work in her bow window. She was
a sweet faced woman about 60, with
silvery hair smoothly braided un-
der lace cap, and possessed of a
voice as gentle as her face. Her
modest establishment consisted of a
little village maid and an elderly
servant, who was devoted to her
mistress.
My married sisters Il am the only
maid in the family often laugh at
me for the manner in which take
notice of strangers. Perhaps if my
life was as full of home cares and
interests as are theirs / might look
less far afield, but solitary wom-
ans personal affairs are not very
engrossing, and l plead guilty to
taking notes" of my neighbors
Possibly my literary avocation as a
novelist has disposed me to observe
traits and characteristics more
than l should otherwise do, and
had not been many days in Labur-
mum cottage before / had begun to
speculate regarding my next door
neighbor's history and had settled
in my own mind that she must be a
widow.
Longfellow truly remarks that
some faces bear story in their lin
eaments Others nothing but date.
My gentle old lady looked as if she
had experienced sorrow as well as
Joy in her lifetime, and the tranquil
look which her countenance usually
bore seemed that of the calm which
succeeds great grief, when the pas
sionate prayers for happiness which
we offer in youth are exchanged for
the hope of passing per pacem ad
lucem.
l was greatly attracted to my
neighbor and was pleased when
chance gave me an opportunity of
speaking to her. AS l had expected,
her manner was as fascinating as
her face, and before / had been a
week in the cottage Mrs. Fraser and
I regularly gave each other the
time of day." as the servants phrase
it, whenever we saw each other over
the garden hedge, although neither
had yet entered the others house. !
returned from long ramble one
evening to find my neighbor stand
ing at her gate AS l passed into
mine l made one of the usual
weather remarks The sunset
was cloudy, and said that hoped
the next day would be fine, as ex-
pected a niece to stay with me and
was to meet her at the station, about
a mile away.
Eyes, 1, too, hope it will be fine
tomorrow" said Mrs. Fraser, "for !
also am going to meet some one at
the station, and this place looks SO
cheerless on a wet afternoon. / am
going to meet my husband" she
added.
Here was an end to all my precon-
ceived theories, but somehow / had