Little Falls herald. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1889-1950, 1906-08-31
Her Secluded Life.

! On the front wall of the Crisscross
apartment building the tiny balconies
are stuck like burs, one to each fiat.
The bancony just over the entrance is
occupied by stout woman in purple,
who sits in creaky rocking chair, and
her caller, a meek and nonassertive
! person in sallow green. The woman
in purple is speaking
''The only objection to living in an
apartment house is that there are Ger
! tain to be some disagreeable people
there and of course you can't always
; avoid them. / told my husband when
we moved in that l should make it a
point to keep to myself and not let
anybody get chance to pry into my
affairs. Some women are so curious!
suppose the poor things have nothing
to do but attend to other peoples bust
ness and I shouldn't Judge them
| harshly.
GAS for myself, I simply detest any,
thing like gossip and talebearing. OF
| course, l believe in taking human
| interest in ones fellow creatures and
lending a helping hand and all that,
but go no farther.
Nov, if l was like that Mrs.
Adams on the next floor I'd just 60
crazy considering myself! That woman
actually had the nerve to send down
and say that my little boy should not
be allowed to play his graphophone so
early in the morning! She said it kept
them from sleeping. I'd like to know
what she supposes the poor child is
going to do to amuse himself when he
wakes up at $3.50. We have to get up
early, so we don't mind it ourselves
and anyhow, I think it is lovely way
to begin the day-sort of inspiring, you
know, to hear good music. just sent
cost lot Of money and she ought to
consider herself lucky to have the
chance to hear it!
THAT woman below us said, when
told her about it, that the music didn't
bother her at all and that Johnnie was
dear little fellow. But, do you know,
can't help being suspicious of wom-
an who so openly tries to please you
and get friendly with you. There is
such thing as going too far And
this Mrs. Johnson is always so dread
fully smiling and sweet Yet in all the
months I've been here I've never seen
her husband. 1t looks odd to me. She
wears the loveliest clothes.
II wouldn't say anything against her
for the world, but when a person is
secretive about herself you can't help
wondering And she never even OBJ
jected when l watered the back win
dOw-box and it dripped water all over
her hammock and pillows below. It
looks to me as though she was afraid
to call attention to herself.
"Oh, hook, quick! There goes that
girl l was mentioning. You'd know to
look at her that she doesn't do a thing
but prfmp and dress. call It scandal
GUS to waste all ones time trying to
look pretty. I'm sure I never was
guilty Of it and I think I've got along
as we'll as the next one. Did you ever
see such waved hair in your life?
"She lives upstairs with her married
brother and walks through the halls
as though she owned the building. l
spoke to her pleasantly one morning
and thought I'd let her see that l took
friendly interest in her. Besides,
wanted to know the name of the dark
young man who takes her out so often,
but that saucy creature just looked me
over in the coolest way and barely
nodded. You'd have thought she didn't
care to know me.
I'm sure in my day any girl who
had such number Of admirers as she
has would have been thought unlady-
like at the least. These giddy girls
will always bear watching and you can
better believe that I'm keeping my eye
on her. l think it no more than my
duty, for her brother and his wife don't
seem to mind her goings-on in the
least.
Here comes Mrs. Grant and her
baby. If she ever raises that child it
will be wonder, for she has the most
ridiculous notions. I've told her time
and time again that the only food to
bring up a baby on was Riskem's and
she goes right on feeding that suffer-
ing child Wiskem's because she says
he likes it and is getting fat on it. AS
though five-months-old baby knew
what was best for it! And, as l told
her, fat is almost always unhealthy.
But she didn't seem worried. l don't
believe she really cares much for the
child, for she is one Of these indie
pendent, assertive creatures.
"She never gets nervous for fear the
baby may die sometimes as ! used to
do when l had my first baby. And I'm
sure no one could be a better mother
than I've been. She just gets out
thermometer and takes it's tempera-
ture and then says nothing is the mat
ter with it and lets it cry. l call such
conduct scandalous! No, the baby
looks red and healthy, but you can't
tell.
There goes that man on the fourth