The herald and mail. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1873-188?, 1875-08-20
Brother Tom.

ing on his head he's always stoninl
cats. Aud if he is not stoning cats he'
sure to be swapping off rubber blub
bers or sliding head first down thu
bauisters. We oil despise him, W,
girls. We are just growing mp, so tha
we have our dresses made with trains
(for him to step ON and wear our hail
in long, rough curls (for him to pull)
We have lots of beaus, and could have
some fun if ma would only put Tom tC
led early, but he is always squirting
through the door. or lck or trying on the
pentlemen's hats before the hat. rack
or saying horrid things cut loud in the
hallway. The other night when Gus
Lord called-and l know he meant Il
say something particular to one of u
that evening-TOm stood at the top o
the stairs when he came in, and shouted
ooh, my eyel look at his legs !" anC
when l looked up the stairs and made 9
face at him the little villain said louder
than ever "Don't SIT on 'em, sis
they'll break I" Now folks may laugh al
such things if they went to, but fail 10
see the wit, and if Tom had been my
son l should have punished HIM Sc.
verely.
Ma only laughed at him and said he
ought to be ashamed OF himself. Pa
said he'd cane him next time, but good
ness what do pas threats amount TO
Once Tom became so perfectly awful
| that he was sent to boarding school,
and then there was little peace in the
house. But it didn't last long. What
can you expect where there is only one
boy and five girls OF course Tom is
the pet, and ma monrned for him 80
that he had to be sent for to come
home.
The other day Sue Thorne (she lives
next door and dresses elegantly and
were having nice talk together in my
room. She was telling me all about a
splendid plan she had to correspond
with the magnificent tenor singer OF our
choir, when out popped Toms head
from under the musquito bars, and
saidhe: I'll tell" d."
"Tom Flanders, said l, you good
for-uothing little wretch, how dare you
listen TO all we say?"
"I'll tell, just as sure as guns, said
he, elf you don't buy me off. And do
You believe, the young imp keeps Sue
and 1 short of every bit of our pin
money ever since to keep him from
telling.
OF course, Sues father would just
about kill her if he knew of her flirting,
l declare l shall die just from the worry
of the thing. Every time he says "Say,
in that rough, quick way of his, almost
faint
We have an old aunt who has lived
with lis ever since we children were
babies. She is nice, of course, and when
we had the scarlet fever she nursed us
and saved our lives. We always felt
grateful, and ma gives her lots of her
8 cond hand clothes, some of them real
elegant, too. But, of course, we do not
care to have her down in the parlor when
our stylish friends call, and we think
she is too old to enjoy parties and su'h
things. But Tom is forever and ever
talking about Aunt Jane. 1t is about
the only thing that makes ma real mad,
but she can't stop him. When the new
curates wife, dressed perfectly sub
blimely, was here the other day, Tom
said to her: Don't you want to see
Aunt Jane ?" Ma pulled him to make
him keep still, but he went right on.
" You bet she is a brick She's mas
own sister, but she amt bit stuck up.
She wears calico dress and helps
cook" / Just thought we'd die
Ma said something about Toms lively
disposition, and after the company was
gone she tried to spank Tom, but he
would not lie still Tom is always buy
ing dogs of beggar bOys-tradlng of
his nice clothes or some Of his play
things for wretched little ours that
friehten us ali to pieces. Once he came
in with sick one, snd after 1T had got
warm by the fire it commenced to tear
around. so that we all jumped on the
table and screamed, and pa shot 1T
through the door. And although he
was told never to bring another dog
home. in he came soon after with half
starved creature big as an OK, and was
alone in the room, AMI Tom went out
and left the dog, ami it stood and looked
at me. so that almost died with terror.
| did not dare move or speak, and that
yretched Tom never came back at all,
80 that should have been sitting here
till this time stone dead If somebody
had not come in and taken away the
brute.
People think that am quite genius,
aud sister Bell paints lovely pictures.
Our names have appeared two or three
times in the papers already. Nine as
the author of poem I'D canary
Birds Eyes," and Bells as the winner
of the prize in her school for painting;
But Tom don't care. We might be wild
Hottentots for all the respect he ever
shows US. / try to make him Call me
MARGARET or sister, and have offered TO
teach him rhetoric 80 that he may get
to be a writer and make his mark IN the
world, but he never will call me any
thing but Peggy or Sis, and when try
to teach him his lesson throws putty
balls at me through a blow-pipe aud
tells me to go to thunder with nv book.
OF course he'll never be anything but a
disgrace to us; like as not he'll be a
poor man and work on farm he says
he shall, or a sailor. Ma says, terrible
as the blow would be, she would rather
have him die. Last year we took him
TO Saratoga with us. But If l should
write a million books never could tel
how we suffered. He was always get
ting lost. or eating strange vegetables
that grow in the woods, or falling head
first down the stairs, or being hauled
ont from under the feet of horses, or
fighting with other boys, until ma sald
she was 80 worn out it would take years
to restore her. OF course we could not
take care OF him-we had no time and
he was too big to mind nurse, aud so he
was an awful drawback to our comfort.
This year, ma says, he shall not go with
us, but what shall we do with him Z
Oh, won't somebody think of a place to
put boys between the age OF two and
twenty Some place where they Inno'
bother their mothers and big sisters,
but can be kept quiet and out OF the
way? If anybody can, it will be better
than legacy Of gold to Toms worn out
mother and sisters.
DIED. Suddenly, July Alb. 1875, Thomas
only son of j. O. Flanders, Of this city. Fu-
neral from the residence Of his father, Tues
jay afternoon at two O'Clock,
=" Ambtr," in chicago Journal
FITTING HIMSELF FOR OFFICE.-Peo-
pie may laugh at him, but we have