Morris tribune., 1901-08-17
a s-FRAMeER oN LIE BLOCK
And How She Showed the Spirit of
True NeighberRlness..


True NeigIlberRlness..
True neighboflineas Isl lacking in city
life. The essence of 1t is wanting in
that woman who calls. onsthe newcona-
er in the block whose child is taken for
it's airing by an English nurse tn a uni-
form of black gown, white cuffs, collar
and cap and whose door is opened by
a man In livery, but who leaves uncal-
ed upon the modest lady who so far
forgets herself as to have, her marble
steps cleaned by small colored gill
with her hair done up in pigtails.
True neighborliness makes no such
invidious distinctions. It. doesn't de
pend upon servants at all nor upon the
presence OF marble statues in drawing
room windows, and therefore it is not
to be found in the mercenary city. It's
real home is In the rural town, where
the one curtain stretcher on street Is
looked upon as public property and Is
Of Mrs. Brown Us it is in that OF Mrs.
Smith. though the latter, simply be-
cause It was paid for with her money,
sometimes selfshly tries to delude her.
self into believing it belongs to her.
A woman visiting in Baltimore tells
this story TO illustrate the feeling that
exists between neighbors in her native
town in county Of western Maryland:
The woman is looked upon as an all,
thority in most matters by those who
surround her, and so one morning,
when the, maid awakened her at $50
O'clock to tell her that young person
wished to see her in the library, the
woman jumped up hastily and donnetl
the things she could get into quickest,
wondering meanwhile whether Mrs.
Aliens baby had another spasm or it,
was merely an ambassador from Mrs.
Fuller seeking to borrow the ice cream
freezer for the day.
If it were tie latter, she determined
that she was just going to nerve her.
self to refuse it, for the last time Mrs.
Fuller had borrowed the freezer she
had sent it home one Sunday with the
handle SO broken that the whole thing
was useless and with note saying
that she was sorry she had been unfor-
tunate enough to break it, but that she
hoped It's owner could have it repaired.
1t was not an emissary from Mrs.
Fuller, however. 1t was an entirely
strange individual who faced the WON
an when, she finally reached her libra
ry.
"Good morning" said the stranger
politely. 'You don't know me, do youiI
Well, I'm Mrs. Cleve. We've Just
moved in this block, and I ran In this
morning to ask you il you could sug-
gest way for me to have. a lawn dress
made, noticed you had on pretty
one when you passed the house last
evening, SO 1 concluded you had good
ideas. Do YOU mind advising me, or
perhaps you would lend me your frock
to copy"
Now, this was neighborlfness-th the
very essence Of that quality. indeed. It
was Of the sort that waits not for In
PRODUCTION and stays not for formalfty.
But, alas, it can never be injected into
city life. tits incidental to living near
to natures heart, and bricks and NOR
tar brighten it out Of existence. Had
this request been made of city WON
an how Indignantly would she have
spurned It, but the woman who comes
from the rural town admits sadly that
ten minutes later her new organdie
was being carried home by the stran-
ger in the Block in triumph. -Balti-
more News. 49, 4