New Ulm weekly review., 1885-09-23
HIS BROTHER SKEEPER.
From the Youths Companion.

sg From the Youths Companion.
B "I'm not good for much, am I,
a mother?"
q The question was asked playfully,
& but the young man sitting at the
a breakfast table, from which red.arm-
u ed girl was carrying the dishes, threw
d down his paper, and springing up, said,
] with a flushed face,-
''No, Dick, you're not good for any
thing!"
II "Come now!" was the angry re-
q sponse. and Mrs. Barnes hurried for
81 ward nervorsly, for it seemed as if the
81 two brothers would fight
"It's a fact. You are living on us;
\ you arelazy-and you're almost TWEEN
B ty years old, said Tom, the eldest.
q 20 boys! boysn' protested the wom-
u an, holding out her hands "Younev-
q er quarreled in your life. Don't be-
4 gin now!' 0
"It's time he heard the truthn NUT
tered Tom.
'tBut, mother, haven't I tried?"
asked the boy, turning to her, and his
voice trembled Just a little.
FYou know, Tom, that Dick is deli
cate,' pleaded the woman.
eyes, and that's been his shield long
enough, l should say. He's not too
delicate to go to all the merry -makings,
and eat his share, and when he gets a
good chance in life, he don't know it..
I'll never try for him again, never!!'
and out he went, slan1ing the door be-
hind him. @
II don't see what's got into Tom!'
said the widow, distressfully II new
er knew him to act so before
ooh, it's been in him some time, "
muttered Dick, 'hoarsely. sEver since
he got acquainted with the Mosses.
That's what's the matter
"Doyou really mean it, Dick?"
"Of course do. Heliles Miss Anne,
and he wants to marry and settle
:, down. I'm in the way. wish father
] had lived, or had died with him"
( "Dick, darling don't talk sor'
II say do! Everything was going
on just right. I liked my studies, and
meant to make man, though in a
different way from Tom. He likes
hard work, and can do it,. Ihate3 ev-
erything but books, study and. law.
I don't see why Tom should be so
hard on me. Pm trying my best.
Lawyer Bates said that in less than
two years | can make my own way"
"My, poor, dear boy! You are do
ing your best I know you are"
D eyes, you think SO; you feel so; I'm
sure OF your sympathy, but you see,
a Tom wants me to be making money.
a He begrudges me the food eat, and
4 thinks I am shirking and trying to
@ get along without work. He never
q said SO before, but I have seen it OF
& late. Icanread it in the wayne looks
III at me-" 80 'as
y "My dear boy! try not to mind
a lt!" said the widow distressfully.
s' 'Ihave tried laughed at his hints, ,and
\ swallowed my chagrin. But can't do
it any longer, my self-respect is hurt.
All is, l must throw up my place with
Lawyer Bates, and 60 out to Oregon,
and buckle down to hard work"
"Dick, never will consent to it,"
said his mother, growing pale. "You,
with your delicate constitution, to 90
away so far from home,-from me-
when you have always needed to be
watched over and cared for! Try not
to mind Tomp' g..
81 havedo SO, mother, but I cam t
pretend to try any longer. Tom wants
to be married-to the silliest girl in
the family, too, because she has a
pretty face and dresses so stylishly. l
suppose he'sno to blame; he s twenty
five years old, and doing fair busi-
ness. It's only am in the way. He
has to help me to clothes, you know,
and OF course my board costs some
thing. I might as well say yes. The
journey will do me good, maybe, and
there's a chance to make money It's
a new place, you Know
The conference closed, and Dick went
to his Office, leaving his mother al
most broken-hearted. It was such a
change from the tender care. of her
husband, to dependence upon the
strong, self-willed man whose word had
begun to be law. And it was embar-
rassing to. feel that before long she
would only be second in his heart and
home. For he called the home his,
though his mother had bought it with
her own money years before, and fur
nished it herself. But now she was
left so impoverished that she had no
means to pay the taxes, and her health
was poor.
If Tom would only wait! But no;
Tom believed that Dick was lazy; that
bis studying law was but farce; that
he should be no more exempt from
hard work than himself. And he had
just had such a splendid situation Of
Tered for him, that it angered HIM be.
yond measure when Dick declined,
!, gentleman Dick" as he sneeringly
Iscalled him. Besides, he did wish to
{ marry, but would not while he fancied
Dick an incumbrance.
That night the brothers met fora
few moments; the mother was not in
the room.
ssHave you written your friend in.
Oregon?" asked Dick, and something
in his handsome, intellectual face re-
bulled his elder brother as he an
5Nered,-