NEIGHBOURS.

Hokitika Guardian, 19 May 1924, Page 4

NEIGHBOURS.

(By Edwin Waller.)

"Love tliy neighbour.” A tall order, indeed, when that neighbour doesn't love you; when lie is just learning the trombone, cornet, or violin, which is a thousand times worse. And it is too much to expect him to care for you, either, if you are m the habit of having all-night and near-all-night parties, with amateur jazz bands, amateur elocutionists, who think far more of noise than diction, and singers who become boisterous when under the influence of hops. “At three o’clock in the morning” may sound alright at ten at night, but at two or three o’clock in the morning i>t is apt to jar on the nerves of those seeking rest in the arms of Morpheus.

Neighbours are as fickle as flappers. One neighbour, who had a meteoric rise in the commercial world, imagined he was loved by all his neighbours, but he soon learned he was envied in a hateful manner. ‘Ho tried to be a gentleman all of a suddent,” tbe neighbours said, suifling at the petrol fumes of -his ear as il it was a slop make.

hut they were wrong, lie was merely elated by the turn of fortune's wheel, and in consequence he was trying to love his neighbours. Still, we are commanded to love our neighbours, lake the case ot the Barnes family, who live next door to Wiiai-ernames. Ihtrnes swears lie could live lianpv if they—and be—didn’t have so many blanky children, hat il happens that both have large families. And scarcely a day passes without llieru is some little argument. Kit her young Wlintsername pokes out his tongue at Willy Haines or May |{antes slaps voting \\ hatsernaiiic. Hut there, it only takes a little match to sci the whole house ablaze. Parents, of course, should ignore the bickerings of their children, and love their neighbours. Hut is it possible in the case of Wbatsername and Barnes Y When Willie Wliatsernamo recounts bis father’s impressions of l’a I aincs coming home from “l.odge” and his mother’s opinion of Mrs Barnes’ new lull S' No. Bather may overlook the slight with a “bull, tv bat s he anywayS'” J!ut bow could mother swallow the insult S' She, who never bought a second-hand hat in her life—- •• Yepi once.” What could she do hut retaliate-' Of course, she should turn tbe ol!>cr check, i.e., buy another hat and let the "nasty cat” sav the same thing about it. But would she S'

Blit, like the froth that tops the glass, it all blows over, and the tranquility following is the more enjoyable. A few days may pass, and yet it tuny be but a few hours. Then young Wbatsername puts a stone through Burned bathroom window, or the freckled Barnes tries tbe Whatsernnnio peaches—then it all starts again. One neighbour (whom you may never meet) may lie classed as the ideal neighbour. He is a trifle deaf, lie

goes to work in the first workmen's tram, and returns after dark. His wife is also deaf, and, quite unlike the housewife who ordered her husband to build a seven-loot fence between her and the neighbours—she bad the fence

built, but omitted to give tbe order for a ladder for use in case site sitddeiilv ran short of anything. They

have no piano, pianola, gramophone, either good, bad, or indisposed. no dog.-, nocturnal animals; neither do they have jazz parties, nor silver wedding-, brass bands in attendance, nor high words; they never borrow, lend, or backbit'*.

But il i- doubtful if they are as happv a- tbe Smudges. Smudge, you l::;■ v know, is always boasting bow well be and bis better three-quarters get oil with their neighbours, lie loves them all —be i- (on bis own admission) not on -peaking terms with any of ik.Uii. His love, however, is not reciprocated. They think lie's a prig, a selfopinionated a-s. posing as a gentleman on a labourer's wage and manners. (If course, as .Airs ’Arriss says: "There's neighbours and neighbours ami neighbours.- ami 'n on. Some will lend you nothing, some will borrow anything, and seme will lend you anything that doe- n* I I clung to Ibclli. Si nil i* will borrow votir soan and then

criticise your washing: -mile of them will talk by the hour and then end up by borrowing a penny for the gas nu-ler. Some will recognise you over the back feme and ignore you in (iYcrge-st tool, some- . . .

And so, between the increasing population, the incorrigibility of all children but your own, we find it hard to obey the command: “I.ove thy neighbour.” There are cases, of course, of real love; many a man has run away with his neighbour’s wife, but tis a general rule. “Love thy neighbour” is but a command.