NEXT DOOR TO A PARTY.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume VI, Issue 22, 31 May 1890, Page 19

NEXT DOOR TO A PARTY.

(As Related by Jack Roise.) Mother and 1 live in a little tumble down house on Grand Avenue. It is a queer |>lace. ami it looks all the queerer !»■ cause it is wedged inbetween such M’.autiful houses, but 1 have always liked to live here till one night last week. That's what I started to tell you about—the party next door. The fieople in the house next to ours have not lived there very long, and they gave a party for their daughter, the ■•weetest young lady, with the blackest eyes you ever -aw. and curly Mack hair and pink cheeks. When 1 went upstairs to bed that night. I sat down by the window to take off my shoes, and I could see straight into their dining-room. Oh, wasn't it splendid! Such a beautiful table, covered with shining silver and glass, and everything good to eat that you could imagine! And over the table was a soft red light that madeit look like fairyland. At first I only admired it all, but seeing so many nice things to eat made me think of our supper that night—just lieans and bread, without a mite of butter ! I hadn't thought but that it was good enough when I ate it, but this was all so different that liefore I knew it I was mad. Here were these rich folks, who had plenty of good things to eat every day of their lives, going to have this splendid sup]>er, more than they could possibly eat. and mother and 1 could not have a single bit—and mother working so hard, too ! And there we had ha<l nothing for at least a week but l>eans ami bread and corn-meal mush, just 1 .ecause folks who owed my mother would not pay her! Then I said right out. ' It's mean, so there !' and stamped my foot. Of course mother heard me. and she called up the stair way, ‘ What are you doing. Jack?' I called back : ‘ It is mean that those old stingy folks can have everything good to eat. and we can t have anything ! We are just agood as they are. and have just as much right to grapes and oranges and frosted cake ! I think it is horrid to live next door to a party !' Mother came upstairs, saying. ‘ Why. Jack ! in such a grieved tone, that 1 liegan to feel ashamed of myself. She pulled down the curtain, and then she talked to me al«>ut my getting so angry and being so envious of other iieople, and how naughty such feelings were, till I really did think 1 had l>een foolish, ami I said so. Then she kissed me goodnight, and went downstairs. The next noon I had just come in from school, ami mother was hurrying to get dinner ready—it was only mush and milk when the big knocker on tfie front door went ‘ Bang ! l>ang !’ ‘ It is probably Mr Peters, after the rent.' said mother : ‘ I am glad I have it saved, all ready for him.' But it was not Mr Peters. There stood that pretty young lady who had the party, with the loveliest basket of roses ami ferns, and a coloured boy with a big basket covered with a white cloth. ‘ 1 have brought you over some of my party,' she said, in such a sweet voice: ‘I enjoyed it so much myself that I want my neighbours to enjoy it too,’ and she smiled as if she never had anything but a good time. I was so astonished that I don’t know how I acted 1 Irelieve I asked her to come in. but she did not come, ami I found myself with the two baskets, and the door was shut. Mother hid her face in those roses in a minute, and I do believe she sprinkled every one of them with tears. I piled out the things from the big basket, and oh. I ean t begin to tell you all there was ! NN hy, there was alamt every kind of fruit. —oranges, apples, bananas, pears, gra|a-, plums, figs, raisins, and 1 don't know what all. .Mother said it did seem as if that basket was made of India rubl>er. There was cold turkey, and slicer! tongue, ami the cunningest little biscuits, and something that mother-aid was lobster salad, and lots of nutsand the most beautiful candy, and frosted cake, ami eake with orange slices on top and between, and things as big as eggs that were as light a- a feather and all hollow inside—oh there was so much that I didn't know which to eat first ! I tell you I did feel ashamed of myself then, to think I had called those people so stingy the night liefore, ami now to look at all this ! Well, 1 made up my mind that the best place in the world to live is next door to a party.