St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1886-03-21


I thought of poor Carrie as read SER
mon recently delivered by one of New
Horks eminent div'nes, who rose to the
heights of eloquence upon the subject of
sisterly devotion. The worthy gentleman
declared that no lot is quite so enviable as
that of the girl who, the eldest of a swarm
of children, gives all her time and thought
TO her brothers and siSters-particularly her
brothers-and thus reaches maturity an old
and faded woman, good for nothing but 10
continue her slavish duties TO her usually
thankless kinsmen, who repay her years of
devotion by grudgingly offering her the
shelter of their roofs. She has had no
life of her own. TO be sure, but that
doesn't signify; she has had the superlative
pleasure OF helping to rear a lot of lubberly
boys who probably have not, after all, made
any particular stir in the world or done
very much for the good of humanity. Ii is
quite evident that the clergyman views the
question from the standpoint of a younger
brother. One can almost hear his fond
mamma telling Mary Jane to put down her
brothers playthings and not touch john
mics picture book. and to leave her doll to
come and rock the baby; and then few
years later, to give brother the easy chair
and see that his slippers are warmed, be-
NEVER
tired) and the boys must have home made
attractive for them; and then. although
Mary Jane may have double the aptitude of
of her brother, she must give up all thoughts
of higher education for Johnnie wants to
go to college. And he goes to college. and
as he must have money to sow his wild oats
in the most approved fashion, his sister
is obliged TO wear her old clothes and take
the place of a servant since money is a
scarce article in the family.
-
And at length Johnnie marries. and as
his female relatives have always waited on
and made much of him, why he, of course,
expects that his sovereign pleasure is still to
be law, and if its question between a new
suit for himself and gown for his wife the
suit is bought. and if he can afford but one
opera ticket. be sure it isn't he who STAYS at
home. 1t is true the reverend man informed
the self-Sacrifcing sister that she will i'm the
future be amply compensated for her suffer-
lngs, and that in the heavenly city she will
ride in gorgeous chariots drawn by milk
white steeds, while the dust from her equip
ages-providing there is any dust i'm those
golden streets concerning which the clergy
man seems to have received such authentic
information-is flung i'm the faces of those
who on earth considered themselves her
betters. Not taking into consideration.
however, the fact that such a position
would probably be so great surprise TO
the poor woman that she would be quite
unable to enjoy herself, why, pray.
shouldn't the brothers be encouraged to
foregO few earthly pleasures that they too
may get taste of heavenly delights? /
know that poets and painters have always
insisted that the only angels in high stand
ing are females. but is it not possible that
that arrangement, with judicious manage
ment, might be changed? 1t really seems
as if the ministers had something TO answer
for.
80
Now, l know girl that is bringing up
her brother in the way he should go. al
mean that that boy shall make some woman
gsod husband, she says; and the plums
in the puddings of that family fall to her.
The easiest chair in the most comfortable
corner. the prettiest clothes. the best of
everything, in fact, is given TO her as mat
ter of course, and her brother, who is ex-
travagantly fond of her. waits upon her and
does her errands and is never so happy as
when he is giving Lii some unexpected
treat. She may not have a particularly
good time in Kingdom come" | can't saw
as TO that; but one would fancy that she is
doing more good for the race i'm general
than if she spent every minute in endeav-