Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1910-11-20
RUTH CAMERON TALKS
ABOUT NEIGHBORS.
Spicy Comment on Their
Criticisms.
(By Ruth Cameron

NbY fuuIu cameron
If the government ever feels that it
would like mother and daughter 70
act as spies in its secret service de-
! partment, | can recommend two wo-
men who are qualified for the position
by long course of home training.
l don't know that there is an ex-
animation for spies, butt if there is,
the fine tooth comb inspection of the
neighborhood which these two women
carry on daily from their living room
window certainly ought to make them
able to pass with flying colors
I made a cal at their home the othe.
day, and this is sample of the CON
Versation
Please punctuate scantfly with few
general remarks and literally with
seances at the window
ooh, mother, look out the window
quick, and see if you think that's a
new coat Ruth Blakely has on or her
old caracul trimmed up with lynx"
Lucy, cd you know who that nan
going by with Madge Holbrook is? Is
he the one she went to the theatre
with Wednesday? No, that one was
light-haired. This must be another
one. My dear this is the fifth man
we have seen with that girl since she
came back from her vacation | think
it's positively scandalous l don't see
why her mother doesn't forbid her to
make such a show of herself"
There goes Mrs. Norton off to her
New Thought lecture Yes; she goes
every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday
and stays so late that her husband Of
ten has to get his own supper"
IF that isn't the HoIbrooks' maid
starting out all dressed up. | don't
see how Mrs. Holbrook can let her CAD
So 1t isn't her afternoon off, either
Why she had two afternoons and two
evenings last week. Mrs. Holbrook
spells her terribly"
MY dear, do you know who tia
girl is going down the other side d!
the street with the brown corduroy
suit on, She came out of the Blake
lys, l think. She is one / never saw
before"
Pause, while the two ladies stare
the luckless stranger out of sight, talk
ing in every detail of her costume. ]
am sure if you should call and ask
them today, they could tell you
whether she wore button boots or
laced, and just how much the plumes
on Ler hat cost and whether her puffs
were ready her own or made in Ger
many"
There's the doctors automobile at
Mrs. Rice's. Dear, that's the fifth time
this week, and yet Mrs. Rice isn't even
Sick abed. I always used to like her,
but Ircertainly don't think this lool
we'll. The doctor is such a fascinat-
ing man, and Mr.. Rice is away so
much. Really, some one ought to
warn him. You don't believe Mrs.
Rice could do anything wrong? Oh
my dear, you haven't seen as much of
the world as 1 have"
No l haven't, thank goodness, and
l trust never shall At least not
the way she sees it.
| happened to visit elsewhere in that
neighborhood and | know how the
people who live within eyeshot OF that
argus-eyed window, actually sltulk
out of their back doors occasionally
to avoid its scrutiny.
know how they even play their
goings and comings SO that Mrs. VI.
and Lucy won't see me and try to find
out what l am doing"
Not because they are doing anything
wrong, but merely because they re-
sent this perpetual spying.
/ think these people are foolish. In
allowing themselves to be disturbed
by the two spy women's littleness OF
mind, they place themselves almost on
the same level.
l think they should good naturally
ignore the scrutiny instead of ac-
tually letting it influence their ac-
tions.
But as for the spy-women themselves
well, I'm just sorry for them.
Don't you think it must foe terrible
TO have so few real interests, so few
resources within yourselves that you
are reduced to perpetually spying upon
your neighbors for food for Thought?
| do