CHAPTER XII 



" NEXT DOOR " — A PARENTHETICAL CHAPTER 



" United, yet divided." 



One matter of the deepest import confronts the owner 

 of the small suburban garden, from which his prototype 

 in the country is generally free ; it is the question of 

 " next door." Inevitable, critical, all-important, almost 

 uncontrollable as it is, " next door " has to be faced and 

 made the best of. 



Sometimes the best is very good indeed ; sometimes 

 there is no best, but a thorn. In the suburbs a kind of 

 etiquette exists which helps to smooth the way. People 

 must not stare at each other, children must not throw 

 things over the wall. Nobody should play games on 

 Sunday, or make much noise if one or other of the 

 neighbours has a garden-party. (Suburbia revels in garden- 

 parties.) Snails must never be dropped over the fence, 

 nor stones, and boughs that hang over are not to be 

 robbed of fruit ; rules as to fallen fruit vary, but are 

 not so strict as some others. These codes prevent 

 much friction. The discordant apple is as tempting in 

 the suburban garden as ever it was in Eden. I have 

 known a generous apple-tree owner present the rights of 

 an overhanging branch in perpetuo to a family where 

 there were schoolboys, thereby securing their lifelong 

 friendship. Such acts of grace as this make next-door 

 neighbourdom a pleasant thing. 



71 



