Morris tribune., 1904-10-01
A FEUD

"Tll tell you, Frank, it's got t.
the point where something must b
DONE" said Mrs. Burnett, and as sh
spoke she raped at the small knuc
kles that were moving toward tn
sugar bowl Morton, aged nine
jerked his hand out of the way ant
laughed at his mother, who purse(
up her lips to conceal smile.
Don't do that, Norton" sale
Mr.. Burnett. Then, turning to hi
wife, he asked, "What have they
been doing now?"
'"That boy and some more of his
crowd put tin cans along the top Of
the fence and then threw at them tc
knock them off. About every other
stone went over the top of the fence
and went sailing across our back
yard. If one of them had struck
anybody he wouldn't have known
what hurt him."
The Deakins lived next door, and
although there was dividing fence
st had not kept the two families
apart.
In the year during which the two
households had dwelt side by side
there had been a growing enmity.
Yet Mrs. Burnett had never spoken
a word to Mrs. Deakin, and her hus-
band knew nothing Of Mr.. Deakin
except that he worked with his
hands for living and spent great
many evenings at home.
There were two Deakin children
Lawrence, or Larry, aged ten, and
little Willie, who at the tender age
of three had learned to regard the
Burnett tribe with scorn and hatred
and suffer to some degree under the
indignities heaped upon his family
by that arch fend of juvenility,
Morton Burnett.
For when the Deakins sat around
the supper table and cast up the ac-
counts OF the day it was Larry who
posed as the prosecuted and abused
child, while Morton Burnett was
pictured as an infant of dark in
tents, headed straight for the BRIDE
well.
eff [ was a man, Tom Deakin,'
said the wife, 'Ill warrant you I'd
go over to that house and give no.
tice that things are simply going too
far. Today that boy got up on the
fence and called Lawrence all kinds
of names"
''He said that his mother had said
that ma didn't have clothes fit to
wear" suggested Lawrence, who
had begun to breathe hard during |
the recital of his grievances.
ANYWAY, I don't try to make
myself look like a peacock every !
sine [ start to church." said Mrs.
Deakin.
This comparison Of Mrs. Burnett
to peacock tickled the children,
and they laughed immoderately. |
Tom Deakin restrained them with a
quiet "Tut, tutD and said that the
proper way to get along was to pay
no attention to the neighbors.
"1'd like to know how you can
help it, said his wife. "That boy is
up to some mischief every hour of
the day, and his mother seems to
encourage him in everything he
1oes. He throws things over into
our yard, leases Willie and makes
aces at him"
"Next time I see him pick on Will
lie Ill give him another licking" !
uggested Larry.
"You'll do nothing of the kind"
his mother. "Don't you
emember the talking to l gave you
ne other time you had that fight
nth him ?"
Lawrence remembered the mild
ebuke, and his inward resolution !
IS not changed. Tom Deakin went
OF lis pipe, oppressed with the
nought that he had been very IN ]
1cky in his selection Of neighbors.
These complaints had GONE to {
i'm day a1tep Jay from the down {
'odasD members Of his family.
Vine feud had grown from a thou
and aggravating circumstances.
Suppose Morton Burnett to he O.. (
be fence. His mother l'o::!G '.7~~ c
he back door and say lo>l;;y c2oA,G::
0 make herself heard through t.. {
pen windows Of the N.:;!;in ho,S;. 1
Morty, get down from ti..' .@:::.c2
haven't told you alb. t t,l2t:'' Z
Mrs. Deakin would 'lcar an! IT,
erstand. Then she We uld wait h.:
pportunity to appear on the Gac.,
loop and retaliate. n