Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1903-05-30
My Neighbours Pride.

My name is Stuart Hardy, and
want to say at the start that l have
proper self-respect, and l take a prop
er pride in my belongings, but | never
vaunt.
If there is a man l can't abide, it is
the man who thinks that his children,
his table, his .opinions-in fact, any
thing that is his, is best. Such man
is Arthur Williams-to give him a
name. as. unlike his own as possible.
l live up Stamford way, in Connecti-
cut, and if l do say it, have hand
soonest and brightest little son, and the
best wife in Fairfield county. Mr.. Will
lams is a Stamford commuter, but his
house lies about as far east of SIAM
ford as my house is west of it, so we
seldom see each other, except on the
eight fourteen to New York each
morning. 1t so happened. however,
that Williams wife and his little son
went to Pawtucket to pay a short visit
to her mother, and when learned that
he was alone in his house, l invited
him to come and dine with us the fol-
lowing Sunday.
you've never met Mrs. Hardy said
l, land you haven't seen my boy Plan
tagenet, so it'll do you good, while
you're alone, you may see what l call
an ideal home. You may get some
pointers that will be of use to you when
Mrs. Williams returns"
And then his self -sufficiency first
showed itself. Said he, good humor-
eddy enough, but still he said it:
Il fancy that you'd be more apt to
get pointers from me, as I've been mar
ried longer"
pretended not to notice his remark,
and he promised to come to dinner, and
he said he would be glad to make the
acquaintance of Mrs. Hardy.
When l went home that night l told
Mrs. Hardy that he was coming. and
that l wanted her to lay herself out on
the dinner.
Costly the dinner as my purse can
buy, but not expressed in fancy said
paraphrasing my favorite poet. 81
don't know, but l rather think that
Williams makes a good deal of
splurge. so we must show him that
while We don't regard expense, we pre-
fer solid worth to obvious show.
| "Oh,"I continued, land be sure tt
dress Plantagenet in his best, and see
that his face is clean; and also be sure
to tell him not to make remarks If we
have anything unusual on the table
wen have course dinner, but there's
no need in letting Williams know tina
we don't always have them.
Sunday arrived, and so did Mr.. Will
|liams, and the first remark that III
lmade nettled me. He said. as he wa!
coming up the wa!k-l had seen him
land gone to meet him:
"Why, I didn't know you had such ;
small house You've always given mi
the impression that you had one of thu
roomiest houses in the township ant
this is a box. A pretty box" he wen
on, seeing that l was displeased, blu
still box. Now, l haven't any NOR
land than you have. but | insisted OF
having a roomy house, with big closets
"Oh, well, our family is small, an,
we don't have much need for closets
l think you'll find," said I, that m,
house is about as commodious as it wei
can be. All, there's the wife. MI
Williams / want to present you to Mrs
, Hardy, and l want you to understan,
| that. like Cornelia's children. she is M,
, Jewel and the Kohinoor-you under
stand?"
. He laughed and bowed, and put GU
: his hand, but he showed his feeling o
superiority by saying:
"Glad to meet Mrs. Hardy. and Tr
| glad you think so highly of her, but
l want you to understand that, whe
t Mrs. Williams is at home. there is n
= one in the state of Connecticut-wel
. won't go no farther
I And it's we'll he didn't. Such ba
: taste to be cracking up his wife in tn
Yipresence of another woman! Just the
:. Plantagenet came running out of tn
a house with whoop.
n There's exuberance of spirits fo