The Prescott daily news., 1915-07-21
NEAR NEIGHBORS
Fave N. Merriman

"come one IS SICK Tn the thlrd |house" Ruth remarked as she pulled off her gloves, q saw the doctors outomobile there as l came by."
 aDear me" exclaimed grandnoth- or who had just come for a visit. "Hadnt you better run right over and see who it is, my dear?"
 Ruth laughed gently. "Poor grand |motber!" she said, "you are in the city now"
 "Rut what's the difference
 "A great deal. I don't know the people in the third house,"
 "You haven't called yet?"
 Ruth laughed again. "We don't call around in this neighborhood," she ex- plained.
 "Dear me!' fluttered grandmother. "People don't get acquainted in cities like they do in the country and in small towns," Ruth went on; "there are so many neighbors that ones only protection is in not getting acquainted with any of them. Neighbors aren't desirable in the city"
 Grandmother looked troubled. "But in case of sickness" she said hesit atinglv, "who's to run in and see to things"
 "Oh, everyone has friends, I sup pose." Ruth answered indifferently; q don't suppose they'd want other folks that they don't know bothering about them"
 q don't see how any one can do without neighbors. I'd most as soon do without a garden as neighbors even when I'm we'll"
 "You do without both in the city," Ruth answered. "See-I have only a window box. But don't you think my carnations lovely?"
 Eve been sniffing them all morn ing" grandmother answered; "they take me back to the first carnations l ever had-and the first neighbor."
 "You must have been very young" Ruth said in an amused tone.
 q am speaking about my first neighbor," her grandmother said with dignity, "of course mother had plenty of them, but 1 didn't know the mean ing of the word 'neighbor' then. It was after l married that learned"
 After you came West?"
 Grandmother nodded. "Your grand father took up homestead" she ex- plalned, "and although it was some times lonely-I had never been away rom mother before-still we got along pretty we'll until after your mother was born. A couple of months atterward We both came down with pneumonia and grandfather was nearly frantic. He sent by a lumber man for the doctor and just after he arrived We heard a wagon drive into the yard.
 From my high bed 1 could see out " the window and upon the wagon was woman with pot of something req Tn her arms. She dismounted and 'he minute your grandfather opened ohe door l smelled the carnations, the ifst had ever seen or heard of"
 She was bringing them to you ?"
 The old lady shook her head. "She uNiueu them with me afterward," she replied; "she came to take care of me anu brought the pot of flowers along 0''"uSe she was afraid they might be aesiected or something would happen " 'hem at home. Water had to be olVusht rom streams in those days ""u Sne was sure all of the children sne left behind would forget to water ~ ror SIX weeks she divided her at nn.. a.l0n between your mother, the car nations and myself"
 But couldn't she run home every a: ,s:ie while to see about it?" Ruth in- ha,a haneu T should think she would
 e c wanted to see her children" did nanomother D laughed softly. "She ' a,. she said, "but they were we'll and saoo", "as sick and the oldest girl was a
 "u p'u mother to the others"
 didn,. looked greatly puzzled. But
 4t, aNs she go home at all?" she asked. waolo once during the whole six bore E iou see, my dear, my neigh
 A n mveu twenty-three miles away" breakino' ko''ent later Ruth commenced stemmnss as OH handful of the long ,na "''ed, fragrant blossons "I T