The new Northwest. [volume] (Portland, Or.) 1871-1887, 1872-07-26
Big Brothers and Little Sisters.

son, and it was observed that, as she
studied, the small face grew more and
more clouded, until at last she lifted up
her voice and wept loud and long,
whereat there was great CONSERVATION,
until il occurred 20 somebody to ask
what Mas the matter.
"Because-because,n sObbed poor lit
tie Polly, "the verse says, add to your
gOdliness JrOthcrly kiHdReSS,' and if
that's kindness like Toms / don't like
il at allr'
What did she mean? Well, | suspect
she meant that Tom was Just such n
brother to her as a great many of you
are TO your little POllies at home. /
suspect she knew what it was to have
her dolls hung up in the apple trees,
and her kittens tails tied together, ana
to be leaped at from behind doors, and
TO be grOwled at in dark corners. 1 I'M
agine She had been tickled and pinched
and locked into the closet; she was used
to being called pickle, and cry-baby,
and little pug, and TO trotting with
patient feet upstairs, and downstairs,
out TO the orchard, into the tOol-rOom,
hither and yOn, on errands, for the do
ing of which she received only n tweak
of the ear, or a careless jest, in place of
/. thanks.
Yet, also suspect that Tom was a
generous lad, who despised n "sneak, -
and who, if he had seen another boy
abuse or torment Polly, would have
promptly Offered to bestow on that indi-
/ vidual black eve. | have no doubt
I that in the playground or at school he
was gOod-natured and honorable, dis
/ daining a "mean" action and emulOus
TO be manly. He would open wide eyes
OF establishment 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, boys! "only Polly'' has a tender
little heart, and il aches many a time,
when you don't know ii, with the sting
of your careless teasing. The words you
utter so lightly, and forget in ten min
utes, are arrows to her sensitive little
soul, and the tricks which seem to you
so triliing 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 ii. / suppose il
she were boy, or grown up, or wise,
she wouldn't mind but being just Pol
ly, little, weak and silly-if that is what
you call it-she can't help it. You know
If you squeeze n rubber ball tightly in
your hand it will expand into as round
a ball as ever, and YOU cannot even see
the place where IL WAS compressed. But
II you try the same experiment on a
handful of rOse-leaves the result will be
very different. And rose-leaves are not
much more easily crushed fiat than
Polly's feelings. 1t seems absurd to
Tom; but then it Is n fact, and facts,
you know, even if they are ever so much
in the way, cannot bc disregar,ied.
Wouldn't Tom be a truer gentleman If
he accepted facts and spared POlly's feel
ings even at the loss of little fun? AT
ter 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 believe in the extent Of his
strength and wisdom and ability, IL he
will but leave her faith undisturbed by
teasing pranks. Tom has warm heart
under his jacket, and | think he pri-
vately enjoys POlly's love and admira-
ton; but | also think it is pity he COW
ers up his feelings so carefully, and
rather snubs Pollyis kisses. For the day
will come when the little sisters love
will be valued at its worth, and, it may
2 be, wished for in vain.
/ Once we were going on n grand fish
ing excursion from Cherrywold, ant
, word was brought that a certain famOu,
traveller would like to join us. He wa:
4 man that had ridden elephants in In
2 dia, and polar bears at the North Pole
for all / know. He had hunted lion.
and been lost i'm iungles, and been friz
l Zled in hot countries and stiifened il
C arctic regions, and had been all over tin,
- world he had been n soldier, too; anl
, everybody who knew him knew wha
"a nj alliance rtAt.fTff.- oil
L up the man. You can imagine how tn
n boys shouted at the prospect of having
f such a fishing companion, who coul,
tell stories of every thing they wanted T.
I know, and answer all their questions
e and who liked boys, too,
- Well, the reality was just rs delight
L ful as we all expected, which is saying
great deal, as every one knows who ha
Z ever belonged to a debating club an
e discussed the question about the pleas
II ures of anticipation. After we cam
:. home ! said to the famous traveller:
(which of the boys did you lik
.e best?''
1f And he answered promptly, Jack.
# So asked why, because | thought Ii
>, would have said Tom, or Dick, or Hal
" ~, and this was what he said:
At because lie went back after we wei
- SAdittu W Mss HIS AAAtlt HisleIs anu W.
not ashamed of it, either
Then this brave, wise man-the bra,
est man ever knew-told me a secre
\ said he:
r. "rhe real promise for boys future
II shown in the way in which he treats h
'u little sisters"
~ Dear mer' thought /, "what a Low,
T. ~ time your little sisters must ha,
III hadr'
er But | didn't say that. | only wol
or dered how many of the Toms / kno
)u would be willing to have the hope
ne their future manliness measured 1
~ their treatment of their little Pollies.
ut But OH, my dear boys, / think m
he traveller was right; for the most tru
IN brave soul is tender toward the lit
rs and weak; the most manly heart is Il
OF one that loves most; the greatest a
a the most patient; and the st. Geore
es who are sure to conquer the dragOl
n abroad are gentlest with the Pollies
on Christian Union.
9s 4 curious portrait of General Was
=: mgton, on earthenware, is DISPLAYED
III III a New York jewelers. window. II
~ stated that soon after Washington
-, death an American travelling i'm Englal
~ discovered some sets of earthenwa
~ with these portraits enameled uD,
~ them. He purchased the whole lot In
-" the portraits cut out and framed. nj
distributed them among his friends.
INIa why don't Won snaal, -, al