Ashland tidings. [volume] (Ashland, Or.) 1876-1919, 1913-04-24
The Home Circle
Thoughts from the Editorial Pen
(By M. w. J.)

ated that the meaning of neighbor
is: One whose back porch is an
offense; one whose chicken scratch
up ones garden; one whose puppy
rolls in ones flower bed, and whose
cat yowls under ones window; one
whose children track mud on ones
front walk; one who throws rubbish
over the fence into ones back yard;
one who keeps perpetual watch be-
hind drawn blinds, to keep tally on
ones going out and ones coming in.
But that is not my neighbor My
neighbor is never intrusive. When
l would be alone, l am left alone.
When am lonely, she comes to me.
When | am hungry, she feeds me;
when l am thirsty, she gives me OF
the cup of friendship--that cup
which never becomes empty no mat
ter how deeply quaff its contents.
My neighbor reads the books that
| have not time to read, and she
fgives them to me in her quaint way.
My neighbor comes into my house
when l feel the need of her. When
/ want to be talked to, she talks to
me, and when l wish to be silent
she, too, is silent. And when my
soul is turbulent, she softly plays the
piano for me, until the sweetness
and harmony to which her fingers
give expression find Judgement in my
consciousness.
Mr. neighbor is young and gay and
pretty. Her merry laughter ripples
across the yard, vaults the fence and
penetrates the darkest corner of my
house. The presence of my neigh
Dor is the breath of lilies.
My neighbor's hair is gray, and
to some her eyes might seem dimmed
by the years she has seen. But l
see only the young heart OF her, and
l partake of the joyousness of her
ever-youth.
My neighbor comes to ME when
she is in trouble, and this l regard
as the greatest compliment she can
pay me. When trials and burdens
press heavily upon me, | go to my
neighbor, sure of her ready sympa'
thy and of her understanding heart
My neighbor tells me how to sci
the pockets in the littlest ones wee
trousers, and she advises me as tC
the length of the daughters skirts
my neighbor shares her choicest rec
ipes with me. My nelghbor honors
:. me with her confidence. My neigh
Dor comes to me when the sugar
g'ves out, and / go to her when al
egg is needed for the cake l an
about to bake.
: My neighbor knows intuitivel!
i when other work is pressing, ant
the baking being neglected, ant
when the need is greatest, she ap
/ pears like ministering angel, will
a pan of rolls, loaf of fresh bread
a cake, or pie, or bowl of apple
sauce.
On days that friends have seemed
unkind or neglectful, days when on,
= feels keenly the isolation and loneli
Il ness that comes sometimes to tn
happiest woman, if she be a woman
who belongs to no crowd" m
neighbor telephones and asks me t.
take the littlest one and so to a pic
ture show.
My neighbor holsters up my prid
when it has been dealt a blow
When l have been made consciou
e IL at the gray is becoming noticeabl
in my hair, and that my new "bun
nit" is unbecoming, my neighbo
d says some nice little thing tina
a makes me perk and feel good.
} At times when my mind become
le weary and over-taxed and refuses III
} terly to perform it's accustome
70 work, when in despair l cry to my
le self, ooh, what's the use?" m
% neighbor comes, and she tells m
n that something I have written lfs
ct helped her over rough place. An
y, then the morning stars sing togetl
n er, and my mind leaps to its tasl
ut like a racehorse to it's course, an
IS all is we'll again.
ar And when the hour of trial come
IN the hour when my soul goes dow
ir into the very depths and lies numb'
We and dull and stupefied and uncarin
tn it is my neighbor who fellows n
1t down into the darkness and reach
of out for me, and gently, lovingly. te
n derly leads me back to the light
day.
Is it any wonder that the name
70 very dear to me, my neighhor?
ed
re Look IN Your Plumbing.