Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1958-06-12
Joys Of Country

Joys Of Country
This lengthy epistle comes
about not because / am here busy
doing muffin but rather it has
been a long, long time 4aborr-
ing" These observations have
been made by necessity and
therefore / feel / can speak with
some first-class knowledge.
AS suburbanites we never
know what we missed in expert
ences because our daily necessi-
ties were so completely met. We
became cussedly independent.
put it this way because we re-
fused to be ''neighborly" in the
true old-fashioned sense. We pre-
ferred not to speak when we went
in and out of our apartment and
our necks got rather kinked if
we were actually forced to nod.
This is rigorous exercise and we
don't like it.
On moving to the country"
very brave move on our part, we
were soon to discover the depth
Of peoples character. We found
our country neighbors were just
wonderful people. Time and
again they have come through
for us.
One day before Thanksgiving
we made the miserable discovery
that 200 turkeys ready to be mar
keted the following week were i'll
of disease that would affect
their ivers but not the meat.
However, they would die almost
overnight. If we were to save
any of them we had to begin i'm
mediately.
What in the world does one do
with 200 turkeys - they couldn't
be marketed on Thanksgiving
Day they had to be refrig-
Grated how was l to get them
killed, picked and cleaned? 1t was
then 5 PM. A little colored boy
who was with the vet as he
talked to me took the news as
heavily as /. However, he went
into high gear and within an hour
there were close to 20 colored
neighbors scalding turkeys in eur
old kitchen. Hands and feathers
flew. Also flying was my hus-
band on his way in from Colo
RADIO. Some sight to greet him.
We were most thankful for these
wonderful neighbors who worked
until 3 that morning and were
back at Z to finish.
During the first big snow OF
February other neighbors who
lived five miles away struggled on
horseback to bring milk and baby
food to us. Like all others we
were literally snowbound for six
days and were running low. This
is an expression of neighborliness
far beyond any reasonable ex-
pectation. Other neighbors called
constantly to check on our wei
fare. These people are indelible
in our hearts.
Such is life in the real country.
l could not wish to change it in
any way. l love the nest of ferns
as they bank themselves layer
upon layer up the side of the
road. Did your city neighbors
ever take time to look into the
bloom of laurel or dog tooth
violets or a nest of robins? Have
you eagerly watched the powder
puff tails of little rabbits bob
down your driveway as you en-
ter? Still yet, have you ever
taken live baby rabbit from the
mouth of a dog and nursed it
back to health - two medicine
choppers of formula at a time
every two hours?
How much / thank God that
my children are growing UP
around things like these and
among people like these. These
are my adopted" neighbors -
they are the chosen. How much
these people "spoil" us with
lovely pies and cakes and all
sorts of little kindnesses. Several
times my wonderful friends have
come right into my home to give
love and security at a time when
it was so greatly needed.
This is life in the country -
this is life"
Former Clty-ite