The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1882-06-29
LITTLE BROTHER.
BY J. T. TROwBRIDGE.


He was not so very little either. He
was fourteen years old and as tall as
most boys of his age.
But he was a shy and sensitive child,
with features almost as delicate as those
of girl. And compared with his big
brothers, he seemed fitted well enough
by the nickname they had given him.
They were great, rough fellows, the
youngest of whom, though only seven
teen, appeared full-grown man. That
was Luf-a word into which his real
name, Ekphaz. had been appropriately
| boiled down. Somehow Lalf Keeler ex-
| actly described the fat, stout, chubby
checked, jovial, rude, reckless sort of
boy he was.
Then there were Walt, aged nineteen,
and Russ, twenty-one; tall, bony, mus
cular young men, loud-voiced, full of
coarse fun and brag. How Milton (that
was the name of Little Brother) could
have been one of the same family, and
| yet so wholly unlike these three, was
| subject of wondering remark to every
| body who knew them.
The nickname had not been bestowed
| upon him out of tenderness, am sorry
to say, but rather out of contempt.
They could not understand how any
body should be SO fond of books and
pictures, freside quiet and his mothers
society.
The truth was, Milton loved fun as
well as they, but very different sort of
fun; and it was his dread of their rude
ways which drove him to the chimney
corner and the shelter of his mothers
| affection. She was gentle, quiet wom-
| an, to be the mother of three such bois-
ferrous young men; and the youngest
boy was naturally her pet.
Many a time she had to take his part
| against the tyranny he suffered from
| them, especially from Luff. Not that
Luff was viciously cruel to Little Broth
er; being so unlike him, he never knew
how cruel some of his tricks really were
If he thought of anything Milton espe-
cially abhorred, like the sight of rep
tile, or the blood-curdling shrek of
sharpening saw, he took a strange de-
light in inilicting it upon him.
He's got to get used to such things"
he would say, when the mother reproved
him; ''what's the use of his being baby
all his life?'
''But what's the use of your torment
ing the life out of him when YOU know
that he can't endure such thingsp' she
many times had occasion to reply, with
eyes that could flash when she was
reused. - &% 80
Gentle as she was, she had much re-
served dignity and determination of
character, which commanded the re-
spect even of the lawless Luff He
would turn laughingly away at such
times, with a careless, ''Oh, wal! won't
bother Little Brother any morer' and
perhaps play another trick upon him
within an hour.
Mr.. Keeler, s kind-hearted but not
very refined man, also took the part Of
the Youngest when the others were too
rough with him; more to satisfy his
wife, however, than because he thou ght
Milton ought to mind their jokes.
''Now, boys!'' he said one day, as he
was about leaving home, ''don't you 60
to plaguing Milton while I'm away; do
leave him in peace for once, if only to
please your mother"
They were digging we'll in the cat
tle-yard; they had reached ledge which
they had to blast, and Mr.. Keeler was
| driving to town to get some drills sharp
| ened.
..Now, Miltonr' he said to Little
Brother, who held the gate open for him
to drive through, ''help your brothers
! and don't mind their nonsense"
''What you call nonsense is sometimes
awful to mer' replied the boy from the
ground. ''Why can't they let me
| alone?"
! '"They would, if you wouldn't pay
any attention to their jokes said his
father.
Il can't help paying attention. Mil
ton exclaimed. ..What does Luff catch
me for and hold me up to the brink of
the well and make believe he is going
to tumble me imp
'.But you know he won'tr' said his
father. 5tr
.'Of course know he won't. But ]
don't like to be held at the brink of the
well and made to look down with him
pushing me! 1t gives me horrible
feelingr' And tears started to the boy S
eyes.
''Well, well! ! don't think he will dc
it any more; any way, try not to mind
it if he does.'' With which mildly con-
soling words Mr. Kceler drove off tc
| town.
| 1t was some time before Milton went
to the yard where the work was going
on. That gave Luff a, chance to forget
his fathers parting charge to him ant
to prepare another trick for Little
Brother.
'.Milt! Miltr' he. called. They're
waiting for your
AS Milt knew that he was expected tt
help Lutf draw Walt and Russ up out o
3 the well, he reluctantly left the kitchen
corner and his book and went out il
answer to the call.
Luff stood amid the rubbish at tn,
edge of the well leaning on the windlas
and looking down. Milton, as he drew
nigh, could hear the steady click-click o
the sledge and drill below.
He walked carefully around to the op
posite side of the well from Luff, ant
looking in, saw Russ and Walt still a
work, with no appearance of stopping
"You told me they were waiting h
said .'They are not half ready yet"
Eyes, they are,' replied Luff. with
sober look on his red, chubby face
"They are going to tamp now, and the.
want the fuse Run and fetch it."
'sWhere is it?'' Milton asked.
Z ''Why, under that board there; dom
you know? Hurryr'
Little Brother did not ask why Lut
could not have got the fuse. instead o
calling him from the house before evel
the tamping was begun; nor did he sus
pect trick. He ran to.the board, lifte'
: it with one hand, hastily put the othe
on something coiled up there, and starte'
: back with Shrek of horror.
A Luff roared with laughter, leaning o.
the windlass. which fairly shook wit
his weight
"Why don'tyod bring the fuse. Miltp'
he cried. choking with mirth. What