Connecticut western news., 1882-06-14
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 8 shy and sensitive child, with features almost as delicate as those of girl. And compared with his big brothers, he seemed fitted we'll 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 wsg Luff-a word into which bis real name, Eliphaz, had been appropriately boiled down. Somehow Luff Keeler exactly described the fat, stout, chub- by-cheeked, 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 a 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, iireside quiet and his mothers uonsnk a
 The truth was. Milton loved fun as we'll 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 woman, to be the mother of three such boisterous young men and the youngest boy was naturally her pet
 Many 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 Brother being so unlike him, he never knew how cruel some of his tricks really were. If he thought of anything Milton especially sbhorred, like the sight of a reptile, or the blood ourdling shriek of sharpening saw, he took strange de light in indicting it upon him.
 ''He's got to etused to such things" " he would say, when his mother reproved him; "wbat's the use of his being a baby all his life 9
 'sBut what's the use of your torment ing the life out fo him when you know he can't endure such things ?" she many times had occasion to reply, with eyes that couli fash when she was aroused.
 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 careless, "Ob, wal I won't bother Little Brother any more p and perhaps play another trick upon him within an hour.
 MT. Keeler, kind-hearted but not a very refined man, also took the part oi the youngest when the others were too rough with him more to satisfy his wife, however, than because he thought Milton ought to mind their jokes.
 ''Now, boys," he said one day, as he was about leaving home, ''don't you go to plaguing Milton while I'm away do leave him in peace for once, if only to Plesse your mother"
 They were digging we'll in the cattle yard they had reached ledge which they had to blast, and Mir. Keeler was driving to town to get some drills sharpened.
 ''Now, MiltoD," he said to Little Brother, who held the gate open for him to drive through, "help your broth CTS and don't mind their nonsense"
 "What you call nonsense is some. times awful to mel! 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.
 ''I can't help paying attontion!" Mil ton exclaimed. "What does Luff catch me for and hold me up to the brink of the we'll and make believe he is going to tum ble me in ?''
 ''But you know he won't," said his father.
 "Of course know he won't. But I don't like to be held at the brink of the we'll and made to look down with him pushing me It gives me q horrible feeling r And tears started to tue boy s eyes.
 We'll, we'll l don't thiuk he will do it any more any way, try not to mind it if he does" With which mild ly consoling words MT. Keeler drove ofi to town.