River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1893-08-17

fer 10 cur brother, Enos Whittlesey,"
she continued. now directing her re
marks to Thomas Hanlon, who APP
preached thsm as they were leaving the
tomb.
You'll never be able TO forgive your
brother for running off to sea and not
following a high mode of living like the
rest of the family?' Hanlcn replied.
mo; he had the best Of opportuni-
ties but he deliberately turned his back
on them. There was nothing particu-
larly bad in him. but he was common,
dreadfully common. He was uncouth
and uneasy when he was in good So
ciety. lie preferred to mingle with
ordinary people. He did not like TO go
To school and played truant often. IL
was only with the greatest difficulty
that he could be taught to read and
write, and the rest of his book knowl-
edge was very meager. am sorry To
say that in every respect he was far be.
low the rest of the family. There was
a common streak in my grandmother's
family. My mother was high-bred
woman. accustomed to society, but her
mother came from common stock, re-
spectacle, presume, but roor, un.
educated uncultivated. IL was her
beauty that attracted my grandfather,
but after he had married her he was
often mortified because she displayed so
much ignorance and was so common in
her demeanor when she WAS surrounded
by refined people. suppose my brother
inherited his ordinary tendencies from
our grandmother and perhaps he was
not to blame for being what he was.
Nevertheless. as his father and mother
and Sarah and myself possessed the
pride and manners suitable to our sta
ton, he was a constant modification to
u.s. Therefore, although we were all
sorry and disappointed when at the age
of fifteen he ran away to sea, it may
have been a fortunate circumstance
after all. | doubt whether he could
have risen in life even if he had re-
manned at home. He was not one of
us; he was one of the common sort of
people, and il was better for him to
associate with them far from us than
near us. He knew how we regarded
him, and think he wished to go where
he could feel free to do as he liked.
From the day he left until the present
time we have heard nothing concerning
him. ! think il is quite probable that
he was drowned at sea years ago.
Even if he is alive, it may be for the
best that we do not know it.
The old lady continued to talk. She
spoke further concerning her brother
and dwelt on various incidents pertain
ing to her family. All that she said
the faithful Hanlon had heard huns
dred times, for, with the garrulity COM
mon to great age. Martha and her sis
ter had repeated to him again and again
the personalities that most interested
them. Nevertheless, Hanlon was as
attentive and seemed to be as much in
terested as he would have been had the
subject of the conversation been new
and entertaining.
IL was dusk when the party reached
home. The widows had enjoyed the
drive very much. 1t was well for their
peace of mind that they did not know
that it was the last one they would ever
take. Three days later Martha was
seized with pneumonia, and at the end
of week she was dead. The feeble
Sarah overtaxed herself in caring for
Martha, and she, too. soon died. The
remains of the sisters were placed in
the family tomb, which they had so
often visited. and in which they had
taken SO much pride. All of the recep-
tacles for Baskets were now filled, and
the two marble slabs that had long
waited for inscriptions were appropri-
ately lettered in memory of the widows
Hanlon was suitably remembered in
the wills of those whom he had faith
fully served lie was left little for
tune, enough for his modest needs. lie
lived a few years longer, and every
pleasant Sunday visited on foot the
pretentious tomb.
Shortly before his death he pur-
chased little lot in an obscure part of
the cemetery, and there his grave,
marked by small, plain stone, may be
seen.
lie kept well and to the end the se-
cret that his real name was Enos
Wbittlesey. HIS self-abnegation in the
latter part of his life molly atoned for
the pain he had given his family in his
youth. He was the most common mem
Der and at the same time the best and
most unselfish member of the proud
race of Whittleseys. He was, indeed,
a humble gentleman.-J "A. Bollss, in
Boston Budget.