The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1872-11-06
Now, made this appeal at very
u,,f -.uno-a t;mo Rridrat had laft


unusually bufdened with work, AM
at this particular moment she wa
bending over the stove, in all the hea
and hurry Of baking day, fryin;
doughnuts. 1 suppose the hot lar,
spattered on to her hands as she fish
ed up the brown cakes | have sine,
had certain experience of my own il
frying doughunts that's lead me to re
gard my mothers impatienee ON thi
occasion with great charity. She di,
not answer my question, and to at
tract her attention gently pulled be
the skirt of her dress, repeating
Mother, mother, amt | two year.
older than Tom Z"
NO, she amt, is she, mother? Sh,
thinks cause it's her birthday she car
cheat me. and 40 all sorts of things,
roared Tom from the other room.
Intent on gaining my point,
twitehed mothers dress again, re
peating. "Ain't | mother? Ma
amt | 2"
Mother turned upon me suddenly
her face flushed with heat and vcxa
ton. Helen. You are always
quarrelling with Tom. Ofcoursc you
are not two yerrs the oldest you act
as if YOU was not half as old. Now
90 up to the nursery and don't come
down till give you leave"
A bitter sense of injustice ranked
in nv breast as | turned away aud
walked slowly from the kitchen to the
room where Tom sat, having it all
his own way with the checkers.
When he saw me he cried out in ma
licious triumph, Good for you
Paws YOU for cheating. Now YOU
won't get any hot doughnuts, and I'll
eat all the turnoyers !"
That was too much. ! turned
around and cried out passionately ;
Tom. you're an awful, wicked, story.
rv-telling liar. / hate you, and
wish YOU were dead. | do"
was horror-striekcu the moment
had uttered these words, but before
could get breath to retract what |
had said. Tom rushed into the kitch-
en-. CRYING Mother, mother "
Of course | was marched up stairs
double quick, mothers hand pinching
nv arm awfully all the way. and re-
NAMED nursery prisoner. living on
bread and water for the rest of the
dav. besides set to learn a hymn on
brotherly love. never hear that
hvmn now without vision of the
nursery that hot summer day, myself
sitting in the window with my hymn
I book, watching Tom, who had sta
toned himself under cherry tree op-
posite and sat munching my birth
| day turnover, favoring me with oc-
casional observations regarding the
high state of felicity he was enjoying
compared with my miserable condi-
ton. / fully made up my mind that
would never go 10 heaven, never !,
| if | had to love Tom. | persevered
in this determination until | had gone
to bed and the light was put out.
Then | had sach awful visions of
eternal punishment that | was willing
to accept salvation on any terms, and
screamed for mother, begging when
she came, to see Tom and ask for
riveness. | was allowed the privi-
legeC)and humbly entreated the lit
tie monster to pardon me, which he
graciously consented to do, on condi-
ton that | wouldn't never do SO no
more" | promised, in fear and trem-
bling. and Tom was commended for
his magnapimity.
This is a specimen of our daily life
and experience. If | urged my superb
or age in requesting a privilege, |
was told that made no difference,
was very little older. If we quar-
relied (Which | regret 10 say was the
case most Of the time), | was told
that it was my fault; was the old
est. and ought TO De ashamed to tease
nv little brother so. Toms invaria-
bic plea, wheE doubtful case was
pending at the bar of mothers judg-
ment was, well, she tcased me -
and that generally led to decision
in his favor.
Sometimes, it is true, Tom commit
ted such glaring atrocities that every
body said he was in fault. Then
mother would say, For shame, Hell |
en- to be so impatient. Tom is a |
boy, and you must put up with his
little faults"
A boywI would exclaim, with |
tears in my eyes; don't l know he's
a boy? You might as wei! tell me |
was blind if my eyes We're put out |
wish there were no such things as
bovs,7
Then mother would look at me in
such a hopeless way that would re-
lent and ask her forgiveness and the
next day or perhaps that afternoon,
the scene would be repeated
| know ! was to blame in all this.
A woman ought to be very saint to
get along with boy from eight to
twenty; it is her duty to be saint,
and | was very far from it-a quick
impulsive girl, with a
strong love OF justice and an Unborn
sentiment ofrebellion against tyranny.
| could multiply instances innumer-
lble to illustrate the injustice prac-
iced all through my childhood, I
md in a different form through my
,irlhood, by both my parents; and
yet | love my parents. He is now a l
steady, well-to-do man; am sure they
meant TO to be perfectly just 1t was {
,nly because Tom was "boy,' He I
vas q great source of anxiety to my '
parents until he was twenty-five. He I
spent money, contracted debts, and {
lcted pretty much as the "ProdigaI c
son" in the Bible did and finally, af- /
er almost running father, and run a
ing away TO sea, he came back hum c
lie and penitent, and was joyfully re- t
eived The joy and and pride of my e
ather and mother; admired and ]
ought after in society, and a general P
avorite everywhere, with me as well b
s the rest. And yet | must confess u
have a sort of fellow feelings" for {
he elder brother in the parable before c
lluded to. Not that would detract C
ne grain from my brothers. prosper e
"; but when | realize myself to be
plain, common person oftwenty-six, y
o decidedly second to Tom in the