Lexington gazette. [volume] (Lexington, Va.) 1871-1962, 1905-06-07
A FEUD

'1'll tell you, Frank, it's got I'd
the point where something must be
DONE" said Mrs. Burnett, and as she
spoke she raped at the small knuc-
kles that we're moving toward the
sugar bowl. Morton, aged nine,
jerked his hand out of the way and
laughed at his mother, who pursed
mp her lips to conceal a smile.
Don't do that, Norton said
Mr.. Burnett. Then, turning to his
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 to
knock them of. About every other
stone went over the top Of the fence
and vent sailing across our back
yard. II one of them had struck
anybody he wouldn't have known
what hurt him."
The Deakins lived next door, and
although there was a Dividing fence
it had not kept the two families
apart.
In the year during which the two
households had dwelt side by side
there had been 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 a 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
indienities 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.
Of | was a man, Tom Deakin,"
said the wife, "I'll warrant you I'd
go over to that house and give no
tiee 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
hat ma didn't have clothes fit to
year." suggested Lawrence, who
lad begun to breathe hard during
he recital of his grievances.
Anyway, don't try to make
myself look like a peacock every
ime 1 start to church," said Mrs.
)eakin.
This comparison of Mrs. Burnett
o peacock tickled the children,
nd they laughed immoderately.
pom Deal6in restrained them with a
uiet "Tut, tut~ and said that the
roper way to get along was to pay /
% attention to the neighbors.
I'D like to know how you can
clip il" said his wife. "That boy is Y
p to some mischief every hour Of =
he day, and his mother seems to =
ncourage him in everything he = :
oes. He throws things over into :
ur yard, leases Willie and makes
ices at him." =
etNext time I see him pick on Will =
e III give him another licking" :,
lggested Larry. =
"You'll do nothing Of the kind" !
tclaimed his mother. "Don't you y
'member the talking to gave you =
lie other time you had that fight .,
it'll him ?" %
Lawrence remembered the mild =
buke, and his inward resolution -,
as not changed. Tom Deakin went -
# his pipe, oppressed with the
ought that he had been very un-
cky in his selection Of neighbors. hi
These complaints had come to er
m day after day from the down to
odden members Of his family. ey
The feud had grown from a thou III
nd aggrayating circumstances.
Suppose Morton Burnett to be on
Q fence. His mother would open Sc
g back door and say loudly enough II
mako harnnlf haand khrnuUh fka "a