follows, of course, that their wives were near
neighbours also; but we beg to remark, regarding the latter, that it by
no means follows that they were friends, or that they had any liking for
each other. The fact, indeed, was quite otherwise. They hated each other
with great cordiality--a hatred in which a feeling of jealousy of each
other's manifestations of wealth, whether in matters relating to their
respective houses or persons, or those of their husbands, was the
principal feature. Any new article of dress which the one was seen to
display, was sure to be immediately repeated, or, if possible, surpassed
by the other; and the same spirit of retaliation was carried throughout
every department of their domestic economy.

Between the husbands, too, there was no great good-will; for, besides
being influenced, to a certain extent, in their feelings towards each
other by their wives, they had had a serious difference on their own
account. John Anderson, on evil purpose intent, had once stoned some
ducks of Thomas Callender's out of a dub, situated in the rear of, and
midway between the two houses; claiming said dub for the especial use of
_his_ ducks alone; and, on that occasion, had maimed and otherwise
severely injured a very fine drake, the property of his neighbour,
Thomas Callender. Now, Thomas very naturally resented this unneighbourly
proceeding on the part of John; and, further, insisted that his ducks
had as good a right to the dub as Anderson's. Anderson denied the
justice of this claim; Callender maintained it; and the consequence was
a series of law proceedings, which mulcted each of them of somewhere
about fifty pounds sterling money, and finally ended in the decision,
that they should divide the dub between them in equal portions, which
was accordingly done.

The good-will, then, towards each other, between the husbands, was thus
not much greater than between their wives; but, in their case, of
course, it was not marked by any of those outbreaks and overt acts which
distinguished the enmity of their better halves. The dislike of the
former was passive, that of the latter active--most indefatigably
active; for Mrs. Anderson was every bit as spirited a woman as her
neighbour, Mrs. Callender, and was a dead match for her in any way she
might try.

Thus stood matters between these two rival houses of York and
Lancaster, when Mrs. Callender, on looking from one of her windows one
day, observed that the head of