Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1897-12-02
Observation-Disclosures
! HIS BROTHERS. KEEPER. !
1 BY GWeNOOLEM ovER10M. I
! OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES

VXTHEN a man who is yet young ar
w rives at the conclusion that life
holds nothing more for him and thathe
can only devote himself to the good OF
others, there is still plenty OF keen
wretchedness in store for him. II he
gets up after a bad blow and is actively
miserable and somewhat hateful and
resentful, he can yet be happy. But self
immolation is not natural, and any
thing unnatural brings its own punish
ment. Another person and other peo-
pie cannot be the center of the universe
for very long There may come jar
that viii put you out of plumb for bit,
but you swing back to your normal po-
sition.
The Jar that came to Osborne was q
hard one. The girl to whom he was
engaged told him that her parents were
forcing her to marry certain rich man.
Now parents, in these days, do not force
one to marry anybody; but Osborne
would have believed whatever the girl
had chosen to tell him. He believed
this, and thought she was beautiful,
suffering martyr, and there was a tragic
scene, which she did cleverly, and =
parting. After that Osborne lost even
ambition, which had been ruling pas
sion almost above his love. The girl
was mean enough, too, to keep his
misery active by writing to him, now
and then, bewailing her gllded cap
tivity.
Life, he told himself, was henceforth
vain thing, only fit to be used in the
service of others. 1t is not easy to serve
others picturesquely in the army
There are no needy and no fallen ones
because when they fall they cease to
be in the army. So Osborne bethought
him of his brother Alexander.
Alexander lived on a ranch-as o.
borne had done. lie was II years old
At 16 Osborne had been the support Of
widowed mother and two children.
lie had had no boyhood in particular.
1t had all been work, making the ranch
pay. Only those who have triedit know
what that means. Alexander was not
afflicted after this fashion, He lived
on his new stepfather, and was envious
of his brother,
Now when Osborne brought Alexan.
der on to San Antonio, the first evening
of his arrival he spoke to him thus;
"There's a frst-class school right in the
town. Alex" Silence. II want you to
study hard, youngster, to make up for
the time you've lost up there in the will
derness."
Alex braced his feetagainst the porch
railing and tipped back his chair. ut
strikes me I've lost more fun than about
anything else. 1t amt fair, Herbert
You've been having picnic for the last
eight years, while I've been shaving in
the fields; and / don't see it in the light
of settling down right away to digging
at books. want n swing"
II nature is ambitious, 1t cannot be
altered. The ambition may transfer
its object from self to some one else
but it will not die. Osborne's had trans
ferred itself to his brother. So his heart
sank. But he had learned liberation
swell, I'll give you three months, But
you must study to make up for it,
"Three months nothing! What's the
matter with six"
"A good deal is the matter, You'll
be nearly IS in six months, and you
don't know as much as the average boy
of a. Of course I'm not blaming you
for that. You haven't had fail
chance" Osborne forgot that, at IS, h.
himself had passed the competitive ex
animation. ,s,.ls
II guess ! haven't--at that or any
thing else"
Young Osborne had gone barefoot
all his life, and had never had who'll
new suit of clothes to his back, nor
dime to call his own. osborne gave hin
dancing pumps and various seemly SUIT
and Il reasonable allowance.
But he thought the allowance small
SAY, Herbert, | can't make out witt
that measly ten. Make it Is, willyou?
he complained.
"No," said Osborne,
Osborne's mos" were always der
mite. but Alexander persisted. "Wh
not? You've n lot than you need
81 know best about that. Ten dollar
is enough, and it's all can give you
I've your education to pay 1or' reco4
lect. You've no expenses outside OF a
occasional theater ticket and tenn
ball--or you shouldn't have
"You always did catch all the plums,
said Alexander
Then the mail orderly gave Osborn
letter from the girl. Osborne locke
himself in his workroom, and read
and believed every word Of it. And Ii
ing-even for others-seemed q haI
thing for the next few days.
Alexander felt his oats promptly. /
cxcelled at baseball, he learned tenn
and dancing by magic and he rode we
Osborne had never been so popular. /
had served the Mammon of Ampitit
exclusively until he had transferred h
allegiance to the God of Love. Sin
then he had been a martyr-ai