Show We the Women Kate Smith Would Revive j NeigHborliness in Cities I I Editors Editor's note Kate Smith is one of several prominent nto- nto women women wo wo- men who will contribute daily to The Telegram during the illness ill illness illness ill ill- ness of Ruth Millett author of this papers paper's popular co column entitled entitled entitled en en- titled We the Women S By KATE SMITH How How well do you know your neighbor S Do you know her well enough to borrow y a p-attern p pattern or a cup of flour or to send Johnny over to borrow 1 w he her lawn n mower when yours yours' is broken Im I'm afraid that the answer is no in a surprising number of American hom homes u. u The faster pace at which we travel these days has done a lot to remove the old feeling feeling feeling feel feel- ing of neighborliness we used to experience experience ex ex- ex- ex not so many years ago Ive I've often heard my friends in New York say Why I r dont don't know the people who live in the apartments apartments apartments apart apart- ments on either side of me Because Because Because Be Be- cause they have come into New NewYork NewYork NewYork York from other cities and towns it seems strange to them Folks in towns outside of New York generally generally generally gener gener- ally have at least a speaking acquaintance ac acquaintance acquaintance ac- ac ac- ac with the people whose houses are next door and most of the time they know all U the e folks who live in the block Smaller of towns provide the best means knowing the people who live down the street I 1 re remember ember when I r was a girl if somebody mentioned a family in our town it didn't sound odd to say Why they're neighbors of ours even if they lived a dozen blocks away from us I think the feeling was a closer one even if we didn't have the telephone We used to speak when wed we'd meet at the store at a school festival or at the railroad railroad railroad rail rail- road station Furthermore we used to chat often and we we knew and they knew what was going on in our community If a new family moved to our street everybody on the block called and did everything possible to make them feel at home quickly Perhaps they'd get in town on Friday By Sunday the the minister had introduced introduced introduced intro intro- them to a of townsfolk some some that lived close by and others that What's more we knew whether they'd moved in from Baltimore or orDes orDes orDes Des Moines Momes And if th they y left town wed we'd write to them because we were interested in them and in knowing if they were happy in their new surroundings City dwellers explain a lack of neighborliness by saying that in S smaller vili villages everybody's community community com corn of interests is narrower there arent aren't so many movies concerts concerts concerts con con- plays shows sport events to keep folks busy busy and and that's why a favorite pastime is a Sunday even evening evening eve eve- n ning ng to gether among t the h e neighbors But even in these busy bustling times I r beli believe belive ve wed we'd enjoy enjoy en enjoy en- en joy knowing our neighbors petter better after after all t the e busier we are the themore themore themore more we have to talk about The spirit of being a true neighbor neighbor neighbor neigh neigh- bor is a very sound one A lot of Ameri American ln progress has been based on just that in the early days when little communities stuck to together together together to- to gether and became cities cities grew up and spread and the perfect perfect per per- feet ind indorsement was Why you must know her she comes from our hom home town |