Connecticut western news., 1897-10-14
A BROTHERS KEEPER

nothing more for him and that he can only devote himself to the good of others, there is plenty of keen wretch edness in store for him. If he gets up after bad blow and is actively miser- able and somewhat hateful and resent ful, he can yet be happy. But self inn notation is not natural, and anything unnatural brings its own punishment Another person and other people can not be the center of the universe for very long. There may come a jar that will put you out of plumb for bit, but you swing back to your normal posi- ton.
 The jar that came to Osborne was hard one. The girl to whom he was en- gagged 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 be- lieved this and thought she was beau tiful, suffering martyr, and there was tragic scene, which she did cleverly, and parting. After that Osborne lost
 
 passion almost above his love. The girl was mean enough, too, to keep his mis- cry alive by writing to him now and then bewailing her gilded captivity.
 Life, he told himself, was henceforth a vain thing, only fit to be used in the service of others. It is not easy to serve others picturesquely in the army. There are no needy and no fallen ones, be- cause when they fall they cease to be in the army So Osborne bethought him of his brother Alexander.
 Alexander lived on ranch, as Os- borne had done. He was IT years old. At 16 Osborne had been the support of a widowed mother and two children. He had had no boyhood in particular It had all been work making the ranch pay Only those who have tried it 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 first class school right in the town, Alex" Silence. "Iwant you to study hard, youngster. to make up for the time you've lost up there in the will derness ''
 Alex braced his feet against the porch railing and tipped back his chair. ''It strikes me I've lost more fun than about You've been having picnic for the last eight years, while I've been slaving in the fields, and don't see it in the light of settling down right away to digging at books. want a swing '
 If nature is ambitious, it cannot be altered. The ambition may transfer its object from self to some one else, but it will not die. Osborne's had transferred itself to his brother. So his heart sank But he had learned toleration. Well, I'll give you three months, but you must study to make up for it. ]"
 Three months nothingl Whats 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 IA Of course I'm not blaming you for that. You haven't had fair chance" Osborne forgot that at IS he himself had passed the competitive ex- animation.
 "I guess 1 haven't-at that or any thing else"
 Young Osborne had gone barefoot all his life and had never had a whole new suit of clothes to his back or a dime to call his own. Osborne gave him danc- ing pumps and various seemly suits and reasonable allowance.
 But he thought the allowance small Say, Herbert, l can't make out with that measly ten. Make it 10. will your" he complained.
 No, I" said Osborne.
 Osborne's "noes" were always def mite, but Alexander persisted. 'Why not? You've lot more than you need. ''
 "I know best about that Ten dollars is enough, and it's all can give you I've your education to pay for, recol. lect. You've no expenses outside of an occasional theater ticket and tennis ball -or you shouldn't have" 1"
 You always did catch all the plums, said Alexander
 Then the mail orderly gave Osborne letter from the girl Osborne locked himself in his workroom and read ii and believed every word of it. And living-even for others-seemed hard thing for the next few days
 Alexander felt his oats promptly. He excelled at baseball, he learned tennis and dancing by magic and be rode we'll Osborne had never been SO popu- lar. He had served the Mammon oi ambition exclusively until he had transferred his allegiance to the god oi love Since then he had been a martyr and martyrs are more pleasing in stained glass than in life. And now he returned to the first cult, and ambition filled him. He rejoiced in his brother beauty. which was of the Bertie Cecil type, in his magnificent stature, in his agility and his athletics He mounted him on the finest horse to be had iu that part of the country-and wore $ shabby uniform himself all winter He read with him for two hours daily and was well pleased when the boy remem bered just enough to give his conversa tion peculiarly brilliant turn. He ar. gued great things from this when Alexander should go to school But when he went to school Osborne saw | the truth Alex, the account of you is very bad. You've barely scratched through on two things, and you've failed on mathematics altogether. I've told you that mathematics is the test at the Point" Osborne admonished.
 "Oh. como, I say. let up, Herbert. 1! I'm trying to learn this piece. He picked on with beautiful absorption at 1 the guitar the lieutenant had given him. "Put up that thing and listen to me. " Alexander obeYed. as all men did