The state republican. (Jefferson City, Mo.) 1871-1896, 1895-11-28

tnor6 10 iubs Nv NV Wibh uAu uOp
have to eat-I wish I could be like Q
squirrel, and could run away in the
woods and never see anybody again.
"what is the matter nowY" John
asked.
"oh," said Ellie, ''this IL my birth
dsy, and Charlie gave me . little
knife-it was so pretty and nice, and
Aunt Mag got so mad, and said I had
no use for a knife, and Charlie was
Throwing his money away, and she
book 1t away from me-and I can't
help crying''-and she sobbed bitter
AZ.
"How old are your" asked John,
coolly ignoring her trouble.
az am twelve years old to-day"
abe answered, looking up, her blue
eyes still full of tears.
"Twelve years old and crying like
- baby about a knife,n John said
,derisively. ''It seems to me you
ought to have sense enough by this
time to know your happiness doesn't
depend IN o trifing thing like that.
If 1 wanted to act a fool / could sit
here and cry because that hickory
nut fell on my head and hurt me,
instead Of falling on that rock and
splitting itself open ready for me to
eat.
"But 1 hope I have too much
.ssnse to act that way. 1t 10 not
reasonable to suppose l can have my
way about things. Mother is older
than you, If you r twelve, and
knows rather better what you need"
John was looking very stern'y and
reproachfully into El6e's sad face. +,
She was distressed more than ever
now, for she thought he, too. was
against her, and a fresh outburst Of
tears and sobs followed.
"What is the matter out here?"
called a laughing voice, and Charlie
stepped up to them.
He was fair, a blond, while his
brother was dark complexioned.
Both were handsome, but Charlie
had the advantage in robustness Of
appearance.
SELF" he said, sitting down by
her on the rock. 81 wouldn't care
for what mother said. She will give
the knife back to you. She was
mad with me, not you"
"But John says I don't do right"
sobbed Ellie.
"John don't know anything about
10. 1t Is not your fault. l know you
can't please mother and I can't
please her either. But everything
John does pleases her."
"Charlie, you ought to ~recollect
you + talking about mother" said
John, reprovingly.
81 know she doesn't do right, II
IL IL mother. I am her child,
too, and she has no right to
make a difference, and I'm
not going to stand it much longer.
I am thirteen and I can soon leave
here, thank heaven, and then, Elf,
you'll have to stand the storm all by
Iyourself.D
|, ''Oh, Charlie" said Ellie, "please
don't talk about leaving. Tn die 1
you 60 away"
emo, I won't 60 then IL I can helI
, you by staying. Ill grin and endur.
it, hard as it is"
/, "Charlie," said John, laying hi
} hand af%fectionately on his brother
shoulder, 'tdon't blame mother 8,
. much. She thinks she is doing TO;
the best, and It seems cruel an,
: unnatural TO talk of her that way
> She has no one but us to stand b,
: her, and for pity's sake try to hav,
: charity for one who is nearer thai
any n else ever can be-"
/. 81 would II she cared anything 10
me, which she DOESN'T" Charli,
d said in an injured tone.
"Charlie, please, let us try to b.
4 better, and not blame aunt Mag 81
o much" said Ellie, now very peni
tent for all her murmurings.
= Just at this moment Mrs. Dabney'
4 voice rang out clear and cold:
9 "Charlie, go to your milking
d Ellie, come here"
AS Charlie had said, John. was tn
favorite, and the tasks for him wer
: lighter and more congenial to hi
o taste.
Left alone with his books now
Johns mind wandered to the tw
q rebels who had been called to the
b tasks. Perhaps his pity for thel
a overcame his studiousness for b
laid his book aside and followe
d Charlie to the COW lot, whore b
d went vigorously to milking, much t
Il Charles amusement.
AS unlike as these two brothe,
' were in temperament they were de
o votedly attached to each othel
John seemed to feel that 1t was h
duty to have q fatherly care Of Char
d lie, and his brothers. scrapes an
j. troubles annoyed and distfesse
- him much more than they did Charl
himself. John tried in vain to In
duce his brother to yield to the
mothers will and avoid the man
painful scenes that his wilfulnel
brought around. In all these trout
r les, John put into 8 all the tao