There are still some houses in cities standing alone and surrounded by garden or shrubbery, but the majority of dwellers in towns must, by force of circumstances, have people next door. These cannot be altogether ignored (though it is wonderful how the habit grows of minding one's own business), and we have to bear with their faults and their failings. A great help in this direction is to remind ourselves that we are also somebody's neighbour, and, no doubt, they have faults to find with us.
Still, there is no denying that whatever are our faults, those of our neighbour are very aggravating. What can be more intolerable than the barking and yelping of our neighbour's dog, the crowing of our neighbour's cock, the creaking of his rusty gate, and the crying and even screaming of his children? Only one thing can be worse, and that is the strumming on our neighbour's piano. Next door noises are a source of much ill-temper and even of ill-health to those whose nerves are strained to tension-point, and in these days of high pressure, this is one of our most serious troubles. The minor annoyances of our neighbour's washing and our neighbour's cooking are as nothing compared to these, and we must consider ourselves fortunate if we have quiet people next door. Better still if they are godly people who recognise the divine duty of a neighbour.
I think there is no time when the disposition of a neighbour is more evident than in times of sickness, and our happiest recollection of neighbours was under those circumstances. Up to then our acquaintance was limited to pleasant exchange of courtesies over the weather, the new baby and the gardens; and friendly relations were established between us when, one morning we received a little note saying that they were having a new flagstone put down at their gate, and as ours was also worn, would we allow their workman to put one down for us—surely a most neighbourly and considerate proposition! This led to pleasant intercourse between the houses, exchange of household recipes, bouquets and visits. But the testing came when long and severe illness laid one of our family low; and then in truth we learnt to know what "to be neighbourly" meant. No distance was too great, no journey too irksome—if any special delicacy were needed for the invalid—every morning, afternoon, and evening brought some kind message for the patient or the nurse, and, when recovery happily came, it was our kind neighbour, the head of the house, who carried the convalescent downstairs for the first time.
And now, years after these events, when we have moved away—as well as they—the children are grown-up, and the families are scattered, there is a bond of happy recollections between us, which time does not efface, or change of circumstances alter. It is our old neighbours who send us Christmas and other greetings, when friends and relatives forget to send them, and some of our pleasantest conversations refer to the time when we lived "next door."
May this continue till we find ourselves with them again, neighbours, but in heavenly mansions!
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