The Monmouth inquirer., 1896-07-23
TOMS SISTER.

nature are not the result OF natural laws
compelling the recognition of kin and
making good the assertion that blood is
thicker than water. It is the love of
soul for its mate, and that mate she
! chooses from among strangers, and leav-
ing all others cleaves only to him. and
the fact that he is unworthy has little
weight.
Out of her great love she clothes her
mate in hero's garments
Therefore, when here and there in
the worlds history the love of sister,
or brother, as in the case of Charles
Lamb, the gentle Ella, is found to out
weigh all others, it is regarded in the
light of special heroism and crowned
with the approval of men, as it deserves
to be.
Tom sister came into world where
she had no welcome, belonging as COM
pletely to the class of aliens as if she
4 had been named like typical one of
their sort, mo Name Sal'' or ''Not
Wanted Lib. If she ever had name,
no one ever heard it, for she was simply
known as ''Tom' s sister.
She was years old when the boy de-
sired instead Of her unwelcome self
was born amid the sober rejoicing of his
middle aged parents, and from the hour
of his birth her devotion began.
He was beautiful, fractions boy; she,
an unbeautiful, gentle girl, and she
flung herself before Tom when any
danger threatened him and resigned
every privilege except that of breathing
and loving, that he might find happiness
in the hard life they lived.
For there was worse than poverty to
! overcome; there were ignorance, preju-
! dice, narrowness and a barren home at
mosphere that stifled all finer feelings.
Tom sister learned, so that she could
! teach Tom, who resisted and tormented
her, but was bright enough to become a
scholar because he wanted to know
/ much about the world that he did not
know, and, when he was old enough, to
go out into it and make his fortune.
One day he went. Without any good
bys, because he hated fuss and his
people would not give their consent
Like many another youth he took his
work into his own hands before he had
served his apprenticeship, determined
to make a spoon or spoil horn.
He wrote when he reached his desti-
nation, and his sister answered the let
4 ter. Neither his father nor mother had
practiced the art of penmanship, and it
was labor of love to the girl, who had
no other pleasure in life.
i At first he was soon coming back;
then there was long silence, and the
old folks were so wretchedly unhappy
that Tom s sister went to visit him and
staid some time, writing home that
Tom was we'll and happy but very busy.
When she returned the letters had not
been opened, but were waiting for her
to read them, reading being an accom-
plishment the two had never acquired.
The girl knew this. but supposed they
would ask neigft6br's assistance. But
they had their proper proportion of
pride and believed that the letters con-
tained no bad news and were content
to wait
So Tom s sister read them aloud, and
they filled up the breach between them
and the next letter from Tom.
That letter was long time coming,
but it brought good news and more
words of affection than Tom had ever
used before He had good situation,
was very busy, but would keep them
, posted. They were not to worry, as he
would always be a good boy.
: Just as Toms father was getting
ready to go and make the boy visit
Tom went west and wrote home that he
:. had gone to grow up with the country.
:. His sister took his absence very hard
e She grew white and silent, and now
r Tom never wrote to her-only sent an
occasional message, but even that failed
to cheer her
But the old people were well pleased
with the news of their boys success as
told by himself. And SO the years went
on, and Tom married and promised to
bring his wife home some day and sent
her picture, but none Of himself, giving
some trivial reason for not doing it.
And his parents knew it was so that be
might surprise them when he came
home handsome grown man.
But before that could happen Tom s
father and mother passed away, one dy-
ing of some fatal complaint, the other
following from force Of habit, as is of
ten the case when two who lived to-
gether many years are parted. Not senti-
ment nor affection always, but simply an
inability to live one without the other.
Toms sister was now faded woman
with sad face, who wrote no more
: letters to any one, least of all to Tom
wild. reckless Tom-whose fair head
had lain on deaths peaceful pillow
since his sixteenth year, when he died
in his sister arms in the town whittier
she had goDe to find him. With a post
master as an accomplice she had saved
two souls she loved from years of un-
availing anguish. Mrs M. l.. Rayne
in Omaha Times Herald
About the Undertow.
When swimming i'll the surf, the feet