From the Columbian Magazine.

THE NEIGHBOR IN LAW.

BY L. MARIA CHILD.

Who blesses others in his daily deeds,
Will find the healing that his spirit needs;
For every flower in others' pathway strewn,
Confers its fragrant beauty on our own.

"So you are going to live in the same building with Hetty Turnpenny," said Mrs. Lane to Mrs. Fairweather. "You will find nobody to envy If her temper does not prove too much even for your good nature, it will surprise all who know her. We lived there a year, and that is as long as anybody ever tried it.”

you.

for me, while I am getting my furniture in order. I will pay her sixpence an hour."

Aunt Hetty began to purse up her mouth for a refusal; but the promise of sixpence an hour relaxed her features at once. Little Peggy sat knitting a stocking very diligently, with a rod lying on the table beside her. She looked up with timid wistfulness, as if the prospect of any change was like a release from prison. When she heard consent given, a bright color flushed her cheeks. She was evidently of an impressible temperament, for good or evil. "Now mind and behave yourself," said Aunt Hetty; "and see that you keep at work the whole time; if I hear one word of complaint you know what you'll get when you come home." The rose color subsided from Peggy's pale face, and she answered, "Yes, ma'am," very meekly.

"Poor Hetty!" replied Mrs. Fairweather, "she has had much to harden her. Her mother died too early for her to remember: her father was very severe with her; and the only lover she ever In the neighbor's house all went quite otherhad, borrowed the savings of her years of toil, and wise. No switch lay on the table, and instead of, spent them in dissipation But Hetty, notwith-mind how you do that. If you don't I'll punstanding her sharp features, and sharper words, certainly has a kind heart. In the midst of her greatest poverty many were the stockings she knit, and the warm waistcoats she made, for the poor drunken lover whom she had too much sense to marry. Then you know she feeds and clothes her brother's orphan child."

ish you," she heard the gentle words, "There, dear, see how carefully you can carry that up stairs. Why, what a nice handy little girl you are!" Under these enlivening influences, Peggy worked like a bee, and soon began to hum much more agreeably than a bee. Aunt Hetty was always in the habit of saying, "Stop your noise, and mind your work." But the new friend patted her on the head, and said, "What a pleasant voice the little girl has. It is like the birds in the fields. By and by, you shall hear my music-box." This opened wide the windows of the poor little shut-up heart, so that the sunshine could stream in, and the birds fly in and out, carolling. The happy child tuned up like a lark, as she tripped lightly up and down stairs, on various household errands. But though she took heed to observe all the directions given her, her head was all the "That must have been very improving to her time filled with conjectures what sort of a thing disposition," replied Mrs. Fairweather, with a a music box might be. She was a little afraid good-humored smile. "But in justice to poor the kind lady would forget to show it to her. She Aunt Hetty, you had ought to remember that she kept at work, however, and asked no questions; had just such a cheerless childhood herself. Flow-she only looked very curiously at everything that ers grow where there is sunshine."

"If you call it feeding and clothing," replied Mrs. Lane. "The poor child looks cold and pinched, and frightened all the time as if she were chased by the east wind. I used to tell Miss Turnpenny she ought to be ashamed of herself, to keep the poor little thing at work all the time, without one minute to play. If she does but look at the cat, as it runs by the window, Aunt Hetty gives her a rap over the knuckles. I used to tell her she would make the girl just such another sour old crab as herself."

"I know you think everybody ought to live in the sunshine," rejoined Mrs. Lane; "and it must be confessed that you carry it with you wherever you go. If Miss Turnpenny has a heart, I dare say you will find it out, though I never could, and I never heard of any one else that could. All the families within hearing of her tongue called her the neighbor in law."

Certainly the prospect was not very encouraging; for the house Mrs. Fairweather proposed to occupy, was not only under the same roof with Miss Turnpenny, but the buildings had one common yard in front. The very first day she took possession of her new habitation, she called on the neighbor in law. Aunt Hetty had taken the precaution to extinguish the fire, lest the new neighbor should want hot water, before her own wood and coal arrived. Her first salutation was, "If you want any cold water, there's a pump across the street: I don't like to have my house slopped

all over."

"I am glad you are so tidy, neighbor Turnpenny," replied Mrs. Fairweather; "It is extremely pleasant to have neat neighbors. I will try to keep everything as bright as a new five cent piece, for I see that will please you. I came in merely to say good morning, and to ask if you could spare little Peggy to run up and down stairs

resembled a box. At last, Mrs. Fairweather said, "I think your little feet must be tired by this time. We will rest awhile, and eat some gingerbread." The child took the offered cake, with a humble little courtesy, and carefully held out her apron to prevent any crumbs from falling on the floor. But suddenly the apron dropped, and the crumbs were all strewed about. "Is that a little bird?" she exclaimed eagerly. "Where is he? Is he in this room?" The new friend smiled, and told her that was the music box; and after a while she opened it and explained what made the sounds. Then she took out a pile of books from one of the baskets of goods, and told Peggy she might look at the pictures, till she called her. The little girl stepped forward eagerly to take them, and then drew back, as if afraid." "What is the matter?" asked Mrs. Fairweather; "I am very willing to trust you with the books. I keep them on purpose to amuse children." Peggy looked down with her finger on her lip, and answered, in a constrained voice, "Aunt Turnpenny won't like it if I play." "Don't trouble yourself about that. I will make it all right with Aunt Hetty," replied the friendly one. Thus assured, she gave herself up to the full enjoyment of the picture books; and when she was summoned to her work, she obeyed with a cheerful alacrity that would have astonished her stern relative. When the labors of the day were con

cluded, Mrs. Fairweather accompanied her home, poor animal, and it was too much for her patience paid all the hours she had been absent, and warm- to see Pink undertake to assist in making Tab unly praised her docility and diligence. "It is lucky happy. On one of these occasions, she rushed for her that she behaved so well," replied Aunt in to her neighbor's apartments, and faced Mrs. Hetty; "if I had heard any complaint, I should Fairweather, with one hand resting on her hip, have given her a whipping, and sent her to bed and the forefinger of the other making very wrathwithout her supper." ful gesticulations. "I tell you what, madam, I won't put up with such treatment much longer," said she; "I'll poison that dog; you'll see if I don't; and I shan't wait long, either, I can tell you. What you keep such an impudent little beast for, I don't know, without you do it on purpose to plague your neighbors."

Poor little Peggy went to sleep that night with a lighter heart than she had ever felt, since she had been an orphan. Her first thought in the morning was whether the new neighbor would want her service again during the day. Her desire that it should be so soon became obvious to Aunt Hetty, and excited an undefined jealousy and dislike of a "I am really sorry he behaves so," replied Mrs. person who so easily made herself beloved. With- Fairweather mildly. "Poor Tab!" out exactly acknowledging to herself what were "Poor Tab!" screamed Miss Turnpenny. her own motives, she ordered Peggy to gather all" What do you mean by calling her poor? Do the sweepings of the kitchen and court into a small you mean to fling it up to me that my cat don't pile, and leave it on the frontier line of her neigh-have enough to eat?"

the cat; but if he won't be neighborly, I will send him out in the country to board. Sally will you bring me one of the pies we baked this morning? I should like to have Miss Turnpenny taste of them."

The crabbed neighbor was helped abundantly, and while she was eating the pie, the friendly matron edged in many a kind word concerning little Peggy, whom she praised as a remarkably capable industrious child.

"I am glad you find her so," rejoined Aunt Hetty; "I should get precious little work out of her if I did not keep the switch in sight."

"I manage children pretty much as the man did the donkey," replied Mrs. Fairweather. "Not an inch would the poor beast stir, for all his master's beating and thumping. But a neighbor tied some fresh turnips to a stick, and fastened them so that they swung directly before the donkey's nose, and off he set on a brisk trot, in hopes of overtaking them."

bor's premises. Peggy ventured to ask timidly "I did not think of such a thing," replied Mrs.. whether the wind would not blow it about, and she Fairweather. "I called her poor Tab, because received a box on the ear for her impertinence. It Pink plagues her so that she has no peace of her chanced that Mrs. Fairweather, quite uninten- life. I agree with you, neighbor Turnpenny; it is tionally, heard the words and the blow. She gave not right to keep a dog that disturbs the neighborAunt Hetty's anger time enough to cool, then hood. I am attached to poor little Pink, because stepped out into the court, and after arranging di- he belongs to my son, who has gone to sea. I was vers little matters, she called aloud to her domes-in hopes he would soon leave off quarreling with tic, "Sally, how came you to leave this pile of dirt here? Didn't I tell you Mrs. Turnpenny was very neat? Pray, make haste and sweep it up. I would n't have her see it on any, account. I told her I would try to keep everything nice about the premises. She is so particular herself, and it is a comfort to have tidy neighbors." The girl, who had been previously instructed, smiled as she came out, with brush and dust-pan, and swept quietly away the pile, that was intended as a declaration of frontier war. But another source of annoyance presented itself, which could not be quite so easily disposed of. Aunt Hetty had a cat, a lean scraggy animal that looked as if she were often kicked and seldom fed; and Mrs. Fairweather also had a fat, frisky little dog, always ready for a caper. He took a distaste to poor poverty-stricken Tab the first time he saw her, and no coaxing could induce him to alter his opinion. His name was Pink, but he was anything but a pink of behavior in his neighborly relations. Poor Tab could never set foot out of the door, without being saluted with a growl, and a short sharp bark, that frightened her out of her senses, and made her run in the house, with her fur all on end. If she even ventured to doze a little on her own door step, the "For the matter of that," answered Mrs. Fairenemy was on the watch, and the moment her eyes weather, "whips cost something, as well as turclosed, he would wake her with a bark and a box nips; and since one makes the donkey stand still, on the ear, and off he would run. Aunt Hetty and the other makes him trot, it is easy to decide vowed she would scald him. It was a burning which is the most economical. But, neighbor shame, she said, for folks to keep dogs to worry Turnpenny, since you like my pies so well, pray their neighbors' cats. Mrs. Fairweather invited Tabby to dine, and made much of her, and patiently endeavored to teach her dog to eat from the Aunt Hetty had come in for a quarrel, and she same plate. But Pink sturdily resolved that he was astonished to find herself going out with a would be scalded first; that he would. He could pie. "Well, Mrs. Fairweather," said she, “you not have been more firm in his opposition, if he are a neighbor. I thank you a thousand times." and Tab had belonged to different sects in Chris- When she reached her own door, she hesitated for tianity. While his mistress was patting Tab on an instant, then turned back, pie in hand, to say, the head, and reasoning the point with him, he" Neighbor Fairweather, you need n't trouble would at times manifest a degree of indifference, amounting to toleration; but the moment he was left to his own free will, he would give the invited guest a hearty cuff with his paw, and send her home spitting like a small steam engine. Aunt Hetty considered it her own peculiar privilege to cuff the

Aunt Hetty, without observing how very closely the comparison applied to her own management of Peggy, said, "that will do very well for folks that have plenty of turnips to spare.'

take one home with you. I am afraid they will mould before we can eat them up.”

yourself about sending Pink away. It's natural you should like the little creature, seeing he belongs to your son. I'll try to keep Tab in doors, and perhaps after a while they will agree better."

"I hope they will," replied the friendly matron: "We will try them a while longer, and if they

persist in quarreling, I will send the dog into the country. Pink, who was sleeping in a chair, stretched himself and gaped. His kind mistress patted him on the head," Ah, you foolish little beast," said she, "what's the use of plaguing poor Tab?"

"My nephew, James Fairweather, keeps a singing school," said she;" and he says he will teach her gratis. You need not feel under great obligation; for her voice will lead the whole school, and her ear is so quick, it will be no trouble at all to teach her. Perhaps you would go with us "Well, I do say," observed Sally, smiling, sometimes, neighbor Turnpenny? It is very pleasyou are a master woman for stopping a quar-ant to hear the children's voices."

rel."

The cordage of Aunt Hetty's mouth relaxed into a smile. She accepted the invitation, and was so much pleased that she went every Sunday evening. The simple tunes, and the sweet young voices, fell like the dew on her dried-up heart, and greatly aided the genial influence of her neighbor's example. The rod silently disappeared from the table. If Peggy was disposed to be idle, it was only necessary to say, "When you have finished your work, you may go and ask whether Mrs. Fairweather wants any errands done." Bless me, how the fingers flew! Aunt Hetty had learned to use turnips instead of the cudgel.

"I learned a good lesson when I was a little girl," rejoined Mrs. Fairweather. "One frosty morning, I was looking out of the window into my father's barn yard, where stood many cows, oxen, and horses, waiting to drink. It was one of those cold snapping mornings, when a slight thing irritates both man and beast. The cattle all stood very still and meek, till one of the cows attempted to turn round. In making the attempt, she happened to hit her next neighbor; whereupon, the neighbor kicked, and hit another. In five minutes, the whole herd were kicking and hooking each other, with all fury. My mother laughed and When spring came, Mrs. Fairweather busied said, 'See what comes of kicking when you're herself with planting roses and vines. Mrs. Turnhit.' Just so I've seen one cross word set a whole penny readily consented that Peggy should help family by the ears, some frosty morning. After- her, and even refused to take any pay from such a ward, if my brothers or myself were a little irrita- good neighbor. But she maintained her own ble, she would say, Take care, children. Re- opinion that it was a mere waste of time to cultimember how the fight in the barn yard began. vate flowers. The cheerful philosopher never disNever give a kick for a hit, and you will save puted the point; but she would sometimes say, yourself and others a deal of trouble."" I have no room to plant this rose bush. Neighbor Turnpenny, would you be willing to let me set it on your side of the yard? It will take very little room, and will need no care." At another time she would say, "Well, really, my ground is too full. Here is a root of lady's delight. How bright and pert it looks. It seems a pity to throw it away. If you are willing, I will let Peggy plant it in what she calls her garden. It will grow of itself, without any care, and scatter seeds, that will come up and blossom in all the chinks of the bricks. I love it. It is such a bright, good-natured little thing." Thus, by degrees, the crabbed maiden found herself surrounded with flowers; and she even declared, of her own accord, that they did look pretty.

That same afternoon, the sunshiny dame stepped into Aunt Hetty's rooms, where she found Peggy sewing, as usual, with the eternal switch on the table beside her. "I am obliged to go to Harlem, on business," said she; "I feel rather lonely without company, and I always like to have a child with me. If you will oblige me by letting Peggy go, I will pay her fare in the omnibus."

"She has her spelling lesson to get before night," replied Aunt Hetty. "I don't approve of young folks going a pleasuring, and neglecting their education."

I

"Neither do I," rejoined her neighbor; "but think there is a great deal of education that is not found in books. The fresh air will make Peggy grow stout and active. I prophesy that she will do great credit to your bringing up.' The sugared words, and the remembrance of the sugared pie, touched the soft place in Miss Turnpenny's heart and she told the astonished Peggy that she might go and put on her best gown and bonnet. The poor child began to think that this new neighbor was certainly one of the good fairies she read about in the picture books. The excursion was enjoyed as only a city child CAN enjoy the country. The world seems such a pleasant place, when the fetters are off, and Nature folds the young heart lovingly on her bosom! A flock of real birds and two living butterflies put the little orphan in a perfect ecstasy. She pointed to the fields covered with dandelions, and said, "See, how pretty! It looks as if the stars had come down to lie on the grass.' Ah, our little stinted Peggy has poetry in her, though Aunt Hetty never found it out. Every human soul has the germ of some flowers within, and they would open, if they could only find sunshine and free air to expand them.

Mrs. Fairweather was a practical philosopher in her own small way. She observed that Miss Turnpenny really liked a pleasant tune; and when winter came, she tried to persuade her that singing would be excellent for Peggy's lungs, and perhaps keep her from going into a consumption.

66

One day, when Mrs. Lane called upon Mrs. Fairweather, she found the old weed-grown yard bright and blooming. Tab, quite fat and sleek, was asleep in the sunshine, with her paw upon Pink's neck, and little Peggy was singing at her work as blithe as a bird.

"How cheerful you look here," said Mrs. Lane. "And so you have really taken the house for another year. Pray, how do you manage to get on with the neighbor in law?"

"I find her a very kind, obliging neighbor," replied Mrs. Fairweather.

66

Well, this is a miracle!" exclaimed Mrs. Lane. "Nobody but you would have undertaken to thaw out Aunt Hetty's heart."

"That is probably the reason why it never was thawed," rejoined her friend. "I always told you that not having enough of sunshine was what ailed the world. Make people happy, and there will not be half the quarrelling, or a tenth part of the wickedness there is."

From this gospel of joy preached and practised, nobody derived so much benefit as little Peggy. Her nature, which was fast growing crooked and knotty, under the malign influence of constraint and fear, straightened up, budded and blossomed, in the genial atmosphere of cheerful kindness.

Her affections and faculties were kept in such

From Chambers' Journal,
MY NEPHEW THE LAIRD.

as he writes for several of the higher-toned periodicals.

My sister-in-law is certainly more in her natural sphere where she is. She does not affect to con

THE prophetic doubts of my good aunt, the cap-ceal that the change is agreeable to her. The tain's shrewd-judging lady, did not fail in time to perpetual little party-giving is quite to her mind; be very painfully realized. Though widely sepa- so are the dressing, the morning calls, the cardrated from my Highland kindred, I had kept up a playing: her taste for this mode of getting through correspondence with the principal members of my part of her time having rather increased as more brother's family, sometimes hearing from himself youthful inclinations have declined. Unluckily of some new golden project, now and then from for my brother, the loo she so much delighted in his wife-latterly to complain of an increasing dul-was not always limited; but years had brought ness in the neighboring society-and very con- some degree of prudence along with them, and her stantly from the elder children, to whom I had gains are beginning to preponderate over her had the extreme comfort of sending a young losses. She was still a fine-looking woman when woman, of superior understanding, as their gov- I last saw her ten years at least younger in erness. About the time that my two eldest appearance than her real age. She had latterly nephews came to England, to a public school, devolved the management of her household on her rumors of my brother's embarrassments began to eldest daughter, who has been taught by adversity be current around him. Without any very expen- the prudence ordinarily the result of half a life's sive habits, he and his lady got through large experience. The second daughter, who, from the sums of money, which even the better resources more intellectual expression of her countenance, of their improved management failed to supply. surpassed even her mother's early beauty, had Besides their hospitable summers, there were win- married just as the family were leaving the Highter visits to Edinburgh, Dublin, and sometimes lands. She had married greatly-the young London; with no farm at hand to aid in house-"master" of the neighboring noble domain, who keeping, when some ready money being of abso-discovered, at the prospect of parting, that he had lute necessity, it had often to be raised at ruinous been cultivating the society of the brothers for the interest. Then came the system of long credits, bills renewable, a trust-deed-all vain attempts to stave off, for some indefinite period, the crash, which every expedient to avert tended but to aggravate the weight of. It came at last, and it was overwhelming. The trustees entered upon the administration of the property, and my brother had to remove with his family, to live where he pleased, on a very slender annuity.

sister's sake. Though the bride was portionless, she was received with affection, and parted with without elation: like sought like. There was nothing the Highlanders considered uncommon in an accident which we, more worldly-minded, thought so fortunate.

:

My brother's eldest son, he more peculiarly the subject of my present sketch, had been educated, while at school, with my own boys, passing, too, At first they went abroad, but the continent not the most of his holidays with us. Before his colsuiting either himself or his wife, principally from lege days, the funds were wanting to complete their ignorance of modern languages, they were what had been begun he studied one year only advised to fix at Cheltenham, to which they were at Edinburgh. The two following he spent at a the more inclined, as we were enabled to lend German university, which he left to accompany his them a house there. Our Indian uncle, the colonel, family home, upon their tiring of the continent. had bought a villa on the outskirts of what was We thought him anything but improved by his then a pretty village, and this his widow had foreign travels, and we fancied his character still lately left to me. Soon after the completion of further deteriorated by a couple of seasons at this arrangement, our younger brother, who had Cheltenham, where, as a handsome beau-à musgone out early in life to Madras as a writer, re- taches-he lounged away the mornings, with other turned home a wealthy man; and he too settling idlers, in the High Street, or in the billiard-rooms, at Cheltenham, to be near the "laird"-for never or on the cigar benches, while at the evening balls has he been heard to call his elder brother by any he was the coveted partner of every fair exhibitor, other name and also with a view to the happiness unchecked in his advances by any maternal of his wife, who was of a Gloucestershire family, frowns; it being well known that the Highland he gathered his scattered children from their vari- estate was entailed, and of course redeemable. ous homes, and, applying to the "laird" for ad- His mother rather encouraged his numerous flirvice in every circumstance of the life equally novel tations, almost glorying in his easy conquests: his to both, the old age of two men, used to the most father, occupied in his study, knew little of what active habits in totally dissimilar spheres, where was going forward the gentle rebuke of his siseach had commanded, is gliding away, I believe, ter he only laughed at. Suddenly he vanished: in quiet happiness. I had feared that my brother he joined a party to shoot in the Highlands, and "the laird" would have felt very painfully his returned no more. He had ventured to his own descent in position: but no; his seems to be a glen; he wrote his sister word; and he meant to mind which accommodates itself without effort to remain there on a visit to my old friend the foresevents. He considers himself the victim of phi- ter. The next thing we heard of him was, that lanthropy; and, persuaded that his patriotic he was in Edinburgh at college again; then doattempts to improve his place and people were the mesticated in some farmer's house in the Lothisole cause of the ruin brought on him and them, ans; next back to the Highlands; and then came he hardly even regrets it. It was the consequence a joint letter from the trustees to announce that, of good intentions; and the schemes in the High- being dissatisfied with the gentleman hitherto lands failing, he has begun another series in the charged with the management of the property, south, not so costly at any rate, being princi- they had relieved him from his duties, and had pally confined to his study, where his fertile appointed in his stead the person most interested brain and ready pen occupy him very profitably, in the retrieval of its difficulties, and, in their esti