The citizen. (Honesdale, Pa.) 1908-1914, 1913-01-28
Hannah Payne's
Mulberry Tree
A Feud Between
Two Friends
By CLARISSA MACKIE


the large leaves were out they formed
a dense shade that quite hid the view
from Hannah Payne's windows as well
as it deprived her left hand neighbor,
Abigail Hodson, of any glimpse Of the
village street.
Once several years before this story
opens Abigail had crawled through the
gap in the fence that divided the two
houses and knocked at her friends s
back door
Hannah" she said, with a note of
complaint in her voice, what do you
think?"
"Well?" queried Hannah sharply, for
she resented Abigails complaining
tone.
"When | got up this morning l no
ticed the mulberry tree had leaved out
80 1 couldn't see mite of the road,
1t makes it dreadful lonesome not to
see anything at ALL"
"Well?" repeated Hannah.
"What are you going to do about
it?' demanded Abigail, with asperity.
Nothing" Hannah had said.
''I thought maybe you'd break off
long branch of it SOS 1 could have a
view"
at cuts off my view, too," returned
Hannah
81 should think you'd want to see
the street. You always set store by
seeing the street." persisted the tact
less Abigail.
'I've got enough work to do with
out peeking at the street." said Han
nah loftily.
That was the beginning of the bit
terness between Hannah Payne and
her friend Abigail Hodson. From
cold nod the breach widened until they
did not speak at ALL and then early
one morning Abigail arose and replaced
the three pickets that had been re-
moved from the dividing fence. Han
nah heard the sound of the hammer
and came to the window, but she said
nothing, only the stubborn look remain
ed on her face.
Three years had passed, and the null
berry tree throve nightly. 1t sent out
broad green leaves that cast a denser
shade over Hannah's house and kept
. had to keep a keener watch over her
books and clothing for the little house
seemed damp, and mold gathered quick
ly on different articles.
The fruit ripened ON the tree, and
the birds came and carried it off. Dur
ing the season when the mulDerries
were ripe the birds came in f1ocks to
feed upon them, but Abigail Hodson
would have scorned to touch one of
the ripe berries, although in the past
she had been very fond of them.
On this particular summer morning
it was very dull in Green lane, where
the two women lived. Abigail had
finished her housework at 8 O'Clock
and taken her sewing out to the front
porch She could see Hannah Payne
rocking to and fro on the next porch
but neither woman could see beyond
the low hanging branches of the null
berry tree.
All at once there was the sound of
drum and fife and a distant murmur
of voices from the street. Abigail rec
objected that a small circus was to pa
rade that morning, and in the evening
there was to be a performance in a
tent on the village green. Abigail was
a Baptist and did not dream of going
to the circus. but Hannah Payne
would go. Hannah was a Baptist, as
were her forefathers, but they all
went to the circus.
1t was rather lonely there on Abb
gals porch The honeysuckle vines
screened it WELL and there was no
sign Of life except the frenZied dart
ing of a ruby throated humming bird
among the flower trumpets, the blE-
zing of bees and now the sound of
approaching music.
If Abigail HOdsOn had not been so
proud she would have tossed aside her
sewing and FASTENED to the front gate,
from which point she might have look
ed down the lane and watched the cir
Gus parade go along the main street
But she did not stir. If she had Han
nah Payne would know that Abigail
was suffering inconvenience from the
obscuring mulberry tree, and that
would give Hannah Payne a chance to
laugh at her one time friend, and that
privilege and advantage Abigail Hod
son would not permit
Abigail Hodson snapped a needle
and tossed the broken pieces into the
grass. 81 wish 1 could cut that old
tree down." she muttered, not know
ing that the same unspoken wish was
in Hannahs heart, not realizing thai
her anger against the tree was stim
ulated by the feud it had caused much
more than by the lost view of the vii
lage street.
Il wish l could cut the old tree
down." repeated Abigail again anC
again, and with each repetition of the
desire there grew upon her the convic
ton that the tree must be cut down Of
things would never be right for her IL
the world