Tensas gazette. [volume] (St. Joseph, La.) 1886-current, 1910-09-09
ALL AREBORROWERS
MRS. CUMeAcK TELLS OF HABITS
OF NEl0HeORs.
Trails and Tribulations Of One Who
Tries to Be Accommodating
Loaned Dog Costs Her Hue
band $14.

IO0n00 log SO8S8 bbSU tbo0
band 50.
Here's the coffee you SO kindly
loaned me. Mrs. Witherspoon." said
Mrs. Cumback. Il don't make a prac-
tise of borrowing, but when l do ask
a neighbor for little accommodation
/ return what l borrow promptly.
Now. Mrs. Wagstan would be q
model neighbor if she wasn't always
borrowing and forgetting to pay back.
A week ago she came over and Dor
rowed six eggs. | hate to lend eggs.
We buy our eggs from a FARMER IN
the country and he brings them In
while they are fresh. and all his hens
are thoroughbreds, and he feeds them
scientific rations. and Of course, the
eggs are superior. Well. | let MRS
Wagstaff have the six eggs. l Just
simply can't refuse to accommodate a
neighbor.
She said when she got them that
she'd return them the next morning
The days went by. and she was In our
house a dozen times. and she never
mentioned those eggs. / always
brought the conversation around to
eggs, but she didn't seem to take the
hint. SO finally l spoke right out and
asked her why she didn't return the
eggs she borrowed.
~ have avoided that subject says
she. as cool as you please. in order to
spare your feelings. The fact 10 that
they were all bad. Still. II you insist
upon having good eggs for them.' says
she. I'll send them over. but thought
1t would be kindness to drop the sub
ject altogether
Actually, Mrs. Witherspoon. was
so mad that I couldn't say q word.
The idea of such an insult, in my own
house! And We 60 to such trouble
and expense to get the best eggs in
the stated"
That's always the way when you
try to accommodate people," replied
Mrs. Witherspoon. when we were
first married my husband set 1t down
as a rule that should never borrow
anything from the neighbors unless 1t
was case of emergency. l have
stuck to that rule as well as / could.
but Of course a woman who does her
own homework simply has to borrow
now and then.
"A few days ago l needed an extra
saucepan. and r ran over to Mrs.
Gooseworthy's to get one. Everybody
knows that Mrs. Gooseworthy is the
worst borrower In this town.
Her husband Is Just as bad as she
is. Mr.. Witherspoon used to have a
valuable watch dog that he priced
above everything and Mr.. Gooseworthy
even borrowed. that, saying that he
had lot Of money in the house one
night and was afraid of burglars. He
put the dog In the cellar where hi
wife had left lot of poisoned meat
to kill rats and in the morning the
dog was dead. Mr.. Gooseworthy came
over and told my husband about II,
seeming to think it a great joke.
Mr.. Witherspoon hit him and they
fought all over the yard for an hour,
and broke down my clothesline and
trampled the clothes. and they spoiled
all the grapevines and currant bushes
and just ruined my bed of asparagus.
And Mrs. Gooseworthy telephoned for
the police. and An officer came and ar
rested Mr.. Witherspoon. just as II he
were to blame. and it cost him $14.
I'VE didn't speak for a long tina
after that. but finally Mrs. Goosewor.
thy began her borrowing again. She
had borrowed so much at our place
that l naturally went to her when l
needed a saucepan, and she let me
have 1t cheerfully enough. When
went home / didn't need to use It for
an hour or 80, and then when 1 poured
some water into 1t l found that It
leaked. l took it right back and told
Mrs. Gooseworthy her saucepan had a
hole in 1t, and she said If 1t had l
must have punched 1t myself, for when
! got the saucepan it was as good as
the day she bought 1t, and II l didn't
buy her a new one at once she'd have
her opinion of me.
But / have my opinion OF her. go
why shouldn't she have her opinion of
me? am awfully liberal about such
things, Mrs. Cumback."