The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1872-11-06
TON AND 2.

Tom was my brother, and be was
I a boy! To my ears, that tells the
whole story; but for the satisfaction
of those happier and less experienced
than myself, for the enlightenment. in
particular, of that friend who main
tains the superiority of masculine to
feminine Juveniles, | shall give a brief
sketch Of the tribulations of nv child
hood.
| don't suppose Tom was much
worse than most healthy, active bows,
and | know he wasn't bit better.
He was terrible little tyrant, but
tyrannyis Inherent in this masculine
character, | believe. Some one saws.
The boy is father to the man. |
don't believe it, If | did, I would
make up my mind, once and forever,
to be an old maid to the end of nv
days. But then, there's John-nev-
er mind about that don't suppose
John could have been like otl er bows.
though that's just what Marion Sew
ard shinks of our Tom now.
Tom and / were prOvokingiy near
an age, and to make matters worse.
was the older; not much over year,
to be sure but Of course | felt natur-
al superiority on that ground, which
made Toms tyranny all the harder to
bear. You see, in the very nature of
things, my rights must have been
trampled on at an early age. When
| had arrived at the maturity of four
teen months, ! was forced to vacate
the cradle. and my mothers arms and
breast were opened to receive the in
vader while was consigned to the
tender mercies Of a frowzy-headed
nurse-girl, who consoled me with su-
gar until my stomach, if not my tenn
per, was permanently soured. OF
course do not remember all this. but
subsequent investigation has taught
me the precise state Of affairs at the
early period Of which | write. They
tel me my father was disappointed
because | was not boy, and | have
never quite recovered from the feeling
Of humiliation with which | first
heard of it. 4 remorseful conscious
ness of having committed an irrepar-
able blunder has haunted me ever
since.
Well, Tom and | grew in stature,
and our noise increased. Ii has al |
ways been an unsolved problem to
me why was invariably compelled /
to yield everything to Tom, because
be was the younger, and why | new
ar received any Of the corresponding
privileges that are usually accorded /
to the elder, because there was so lit
tie difference in our ages that the
most we shared equally. The only
solution ever found was in the fact
so constantly set before me that tom
was bov."
| well remember a game of check
ers played by Tom and | on nv
tenth birthday. Tom would be nine
in a few months. and we were dole
fully ignorant of arithmetic, having
spent most of our valuable time in the
pursuit Of pleasure, both in the school
room and elsewhere. Tom made a
careless move, which gave me an op-
portun;ty to jump three of his men.
it eagerly That a girl
should gain such an advantage over
him was too much for Toms temper,
80 he roared cut That amt fair"
Yes, it is, replied? don't YOU
YOU did it yesterday ?''
Don't care if | did, 'taint fair,
md you shan't do it" was the reply,
With IA hateful emphasis on the term I
YOU" II
But Tom" | urged mildly, try
ng hard to retain my dignity. Il am {
wo years the oldest, and | ought to
now :
"No you amt two years the old I
st" was the response.
Amt ten 2" urged.
yes" {
"And you eight p 8
Yes.n {
well, triumphantly, don't eight i
rom ten leave two ~ &
You amt two years the oldest 5
lnyhow, and you shan't jump me-" /
iersistcd Tom. 6
:" shall ask mother" cried, GER I
ain that my statement must be up /
eld in that quarter, and caring much Z
nore for the superior age than the
heckers. | opened the kitchen door :
nd rushed out. 'Mother!'' | cried
iother, amt two years older than L