American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1872-05-11
BIG BROTHERS AND LITTLE SIS
TIERS.

"There's always two sides to every
thing" said q positive, boyish voice out
side my window this morning.
"There amt two sides to string, I"
answered a smaller voice. equally positive
and equally regardless of grammar
But while | smiled at the speakers the
words of the first fitted into my thou ghts
APPLY, for | had just been reading a
pleasant little volume called Talks With
Girls" in which the duty of sisters to
their Young brothers was particularly set
forth and l was thinking how, as read
that chapter, pair of bright eyes looked
over my shoulder, and their owner said :
"That's so; the girls do plague us
awfully- 1 just wish you'd write another
book, ana give it TO EN- harder!''
But "there are always two sides to
everything" and it is the other side abou:
which | want to talk to you, boys, few
moments.
There was once tiny girl toilfully
going through her Sunday school lesson,
and it was observed that as she studied,
the small face grew more and more cloud
ed, until at last she lifted up her voice
and wept loud and long, wbereat there
was great CONSERVATION, until it occurred
to somebody to ask what was the matter.
''Because-because'- poor little
| Polly, ''the verse says, Add to your god
illness, b1'ohe,ly kfndness,' and if that's
kindness like Toms 1 don't like it at ally
| What did she mean? Well, l suspect
| she meant that Tom was Just such a
| brother to her as great many of you are
to your little Pollies at home. 1 suspect
| she knew what it was to have her dolls
hung up in the apple trees, and her
| kittens tails tied together, and to be
lcaped at from behind doors and growled
at in dark corners. l imagine she had
been tickled and pinched and locked into
the closet; she was used to being called
pickle and a cry-baby, and little pug,
and to trotting with patient feet upstairs,
downstairs, out to the orchard, into the
tool-room, hither and yon, on errands, for
the doing of which she received only a
tweak of the ear or careless Jest in place
Of thanks.
Yet, l also suspect that Tom was a
generous lad, who despised "sneak,"
and who, if he had seen another boy
abuse or torment Polly, would have
promptly offered to bestow on that indi-
viduaI black eye. have no doubt that
in the play ground or at school he was
good natured and honorable, disdaining
"mean" action and emulous to be manly.
He would open wide eyes of astonish-
ment at any suggestion of cruelty in his
conduct toward his sister, and reply with
honest candor:
''Why, it's only Polly; she don't mind"
All, boysl "only Polly'' has a tender
little heart, and it aches many time,
when you don't know it, with the sting
of your careless teasing. The words you
utter so lightly, and forget in ten minutes,
are arrows to her sensitive little soul, and
the tricks which seem to you SO trifiing
are weighty trials to her.
''Well, but says Tom, ''it's so silly of
her to mind; because she knows we don't
mean anything"
That is one view of it. I suppose if
she was boy, or grown up, or wise, she
would not mind; but being just Polly,
little and weak and silly-if that is what
you call it-she can't help it. You know
if you squeeze rubber ball tightly in
your hand it will expand again into as
round ball as ever, and you cannot even
see the place where it was compressed.
But if you try the same experiment on
handful of rose-leaves the result will be
very different. And roseleaves are not
much more easily crushed flat than
POlly's feelings. 1t seems absurd to
Tom; but then it is a fact. and facts, you
know, even If they are ever so much in
the way, cannot be disregarded. Wouldn't
Tom be the truer gentleman if he accept
ed facts and spared Polly's feelings even
at the loss of a little fun? After all, is
the fun SO amusing it can't be replaced
with something better? Then, too, Polly
loves Tom so dearly; she is SO ready to
DtlltNc III illt tAlcuJ vi HIS duo
wisdom and ability, if he will but leave
her faith undisturbed by teasing pranks.
Tom has a warm heart under his jacket,
and think he privately enjoys Polly's
love and admiration; but also think it
is pity he covers up his feelings so care
fully, and rather snabs POlly's kisses.
For the day will come when the little
sisters love will be valued at its worth,
and, it may be, wished for in vain.
N fic1,i
excursion from Cherrywold. and word
was brought that a certain famous
traveller would like to join us. He was
man hat had ridden elephants in India,
and polar bears at the North pole, for all
! know He had hunted lions, and been
lost in jungles, and frizzled in hot count
ries and stiffened in Arctic regions, and
been all over the world; he had been a
soldier, too; and everybody who knew
about him knew what courage and
patience and nobility made up the man.
You can imagine how the boys shouted at
the prospect of having such a fishing COM
panion, who could tell stories of every
thing they wanted to know, and answer
all their questions, and who hked boys.
too!
Well, the reality was just as delightful
as we all expected, which is saying a
great deal as every one knows who has
ever belonged to debating club and
discussed the question about the pleas
ures of anticipation. After we came
home said to the famous traveller:
wv hich of the boys did you like best?"
And he answered promptly, Jack"
So asked why, because thought he
would have said Tom, or Dick, or Harry,
and this is what he said:
because he went back after we were
started to kiss his little sister, and wasn't
ashamed of it, either"
Then this brave, wise man-the bravest
man l ever knew-told me a secret. Said
he:
''The real promise for boys future is
shown in the way he treats his little sis.
tiers"
Dear mep' thought I, what love
ly time your little sisters must have had!
But didn't say that. / only wondered
how many of the Toms | know would be
willing to have the hope of their future
manliness measured by their treatment of
their little Pollies
But oh, my dear boys, | think my trav-
eler was right; for the most truly brave
soul is tender toward the little and weak;
the most manly heart is the one that loves
most: the greatest are the most patients;
and the St GEORGES who are sure to con-
u,ler the dragons abroad are gentlest
with the Pollies ut home.-Christidn
tHtOH.
Ministers in Canada are as poorly
provided for as in the States. The Toron-
10 Presbyterian saws, ''Of 296 ministers
. trI