American Agriculturist, August 16, 1924 
101 
More About Neighborly Acts 
A Few More of the Many, Many Good Letters We Have Received 
T HE most neighborly act I ever saw occurred By A. A. READERS 
just last month. A family from Iowa con- 
sisting of father, mother and six children had saved blast from the dinner horn would quickly bring 
some money and were traveling East to visit the him. He saw things that required attention and 
mother’s relatives. When they came to one of did not wait to be asked to do them, 
the mountains here close to the Mason and Dixon Along towards the last, my husband had delir- 
line where so many accidents happen to the West- ious attacks and despite all efforts of my daughter 
erners unused to mountains, their car ran over an and myself, we feared that he would escape our 
surveillance, and go out 
doors, (though when not 
delirious he was too weak 
to get out of bed). 
Late one evening he 
was taken with the first 
and one of his worst at¬ 
tacks. We sent for this 
neighbor. He came all 
dressed up. 
v “Were you going 
away?” I asked. “Yes,” 
said he, “we were going 
to a dance, but the rest 
can go and I will stay with 
you folks,” and he did. 
A young man of twenty- 
four, giving up his pleas¬ 
ure to stay with aged and 
— i....— infirm people! What we 
would have done without 
ones ’’ and with the kindliest smile he bade them him I know not. for we all passed a terrible night, 
adieu and went on his way without waiting for and we appreciated his kindness more than we can 
_ 1 * X _ I I • I ' I W-. /N. 4- 4- A -wv» n «TT In AI /\nn fl 
embankment fatally in¬ 
juring the mother and 
demolishing their car. 
The mother was sent to a 
hospital, the children and 
father were gathered up 
by a stranger who proved 
to be a real friend. When 
this man, Mr. F., first 
saw the distressed father 
and six little children 
they were standing by 
each other and they made 
steps, the children being 
two years difference in 
age. Mr. F. took out his 
checkbook, wrote a check 
for five hundred dollars, 
handed it to the father 
of the children saying, 
“Take care of these little 
The Little Town 
Hina Baldwin 
T HE little town’s a pokey town,—• 
Where nothing much can change 
The customs or the minds of those 
Who live within its range. 
The little town’s a gossip town, — 
Where everybody knows 
And talks about the other one— 
The home of cons and pros. 
The little town’s a friendly town,— 
For there, when all is told, 
We find that hearts, in time of need, 
Are made of purest gold. 
thanks—W. P. L., Fulton County, Pennsylvania. 
* 
At the Risk of His Own Life 
M ORE than 20 years ago (in March) tliere 
was a big snow storm, the sort that goes 
down in local history as the real thing. Roads 
vanished and everyone was snowed in for days. I 
was a young boy at home. A neighbor died, and 
a casket had to be procured for him. . His wife 
attempted to persuade some of her neighbors to 
go for it but all said “Wait till the storm is over 
and roads are opened.” Finally she asked my 
father to go and he consented at once. 
At three the next morning he started, a team 
hitched to a light sleigh. My older brother ac¬ 
companied him. They had a distance of perhaps 
nine miles to go. It had stormed for two days and 
was still storming and they reached the county 
house at about two in the afternoon. After rest¬ 
ing the team and feeding them some grain, they 
started home about 3 P. M. and reached home 
with the casket about one the next morning, 
nearly frozen and covered with snow, which was 
still falling. 
In searching my mind for the memory oi 
neighborly acts, this one stands out as unusual in 
the suffering and discomfort involved and illus¬ 
trates what some of the older people would do for 
a neighbor.—W. R., New York. 
Money Help is Real Help 
T WENTY years ago my neighbor said to me, 
“Why don’t you own your own home?” I told 
him that I would like to but had no money. 
He suggested that I look around a bit and said 
that if I could find a place he would furnish the 
money. I bought and he furnished all the money 
not only for the place but for stock and imple¬ 
ments. Stock and implements were bought at 
public sales. By paying cash, he made a 
discount of 6%, which I got, he charging me only 
4% for his money. He also helped me in many 
other ways.—I. D., Pennsylvania. 
* * * 
Gave Up Own Pleasure to Help Neighbor 
I HAVE had quite an experience the past 
summer and ’autumn when my husband was 
seriously and critically ill. For many months 
hired help and neighbors were our only dependence 
“and the neighbors failed us not.” 
One neighbor especially (he being the nearest, 
H mile distant) would come any time day or 
night. When we were unable to send for him, a 
tell. This is only one of the many kindnesses 
rendered by our neighbors in our affliction, for my 
husband later died but this act of a young man 
seemed so dear to us.— Mrs. D. B., New York. 
* * * 
Neighborliness in the City, Too 
W HEN I was on the wrong subway train the 
conductor told me I must get off at the 
next station, cross over and return to where I 
Mr. and Mrs. James Richards of Norfolk, N. Y., and their 
horse “ Charlie.” He was born May 27, 1888, making him 
3G years old, the oldest horse of which we have any knowl¬ 
edge. If any of our readers have authentic information of 
any horse older than this one, we would like to have the 
facts and a picture. In the meantime “ Charlie” holds 
the record as the oldest horse in the A. A. Family. 
the bridge, down to the other platform and left 
me only when the right train came along. This 
happened, not in the country where one expects 
neighborly acts, but in a busy city.—L. J. K., 
New York. 
* * * 
A Pastor Practices What He Preaches 
I HAVE been a reader of the Agriculturist many 
years, having lived in a rural community 
nearly eighty years. Have seen many acts of 
neighborly kindness but taking everything into 
consideration the following excels them all. 
A minister in charge of two churches, which 
obviously took most of his time, learned that one 
of his parishioners was ill. The latter owned a 
small farm and was unable to harvest his potatoes. 
The minister decided he would try to relieve the 
situation. Therefore, one fine morning he took 
out his wheel, not being the owner of a car, and 
went to the home, six miles away and with the 
help of the sick man’s young son dug, picked up, 
and put into the cellar forty bushels, the entire 
crop, mounted his wheel and returned home, 
covering a distance of twelve miles over an ordi¬ 
nary country road, not a foot of cement. Un¬ 
accustomed as he was to manual labor, it took 
pluck, muscle and sweat of the brow to perform 
this neighborly act.— Mrs. P. A. G., New York. 
. * * * 
“Women and Children First” 
Y OUR request for true stories of acts of friend¬ 
liness among neighbors brought to my mind 
at once an incident the story of which came to me 
not long ago from the little hill town in Vermont 
which was formerly my home. 
John and Albert occupy adjoining farms and 
frequently work together felling trees. Albert 
being the older and more experienced naturally 
takes the lead. He is a man whose decisions are 
not to be taken lightly nor his motives questioned. 
As they were working together one day, John 
said, “Albert, why do you always give me the safe 
side of the tree and take the dangerous side your¬ 
self? ” Straight came the reply, given in a matter- 
of-fact fashion as if he were commenting upon the 
weather, “John, you have three little children and 
I have none.—L. K. G., Rhode Island. 
* * * 
The Man Who Does Good in Silence 
I HAVE a pasture lot on the end of my farm, 
obscured from view of the house. I have 
there sheep and dry stock. Last year one of my 
neighbors, chancing to be driving past, noticed 
three head of cattle in the adjoining field of 
alfalfa. He stopped, drove them back into the 
pasture lot and fixed the gate. I did not know of 
his act until several days later. There is no 
question that had he not done this, the cattle 
would have bloated on the alfalfa and died; and 
probably some sheep, too. 
Now, I have in mind what might seem to others 
greater neighborly acts, such as happening in my 
own neighborhood. In one case a farm building 
blew over, sixty men of the vicinity in one half 
day piled the wreckage. There are others, such 
as a neighbor helping another save a wheat crop 
from storm; or incidents of sickness. But this 
one above stands out in my mind not alone for 
the saving of needy dollars to me but the character 
of this neighbor.—W. D., New York. 
could get the line wanted. A newsdealer with a 
heavy bundle of papers who overheard the direc¬ 
tions given me said, ‘Don’t worry, lady, I’ll see 
that you get all right.’ So he did. Getting off 
at the same station, he left his papers in charge of 
a boy there and went with me up the steps across 
The second generation.— Judge. 
