New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-01-02
Amt ELIZABETH'S PRESENT.

uv brother Jacob and are twins There Is
.,lv few minutes difference in our ages. In
.,nearance we are almost exactly similar. we
nave about the same income, and Aunt ELIZA
Meth likes US both equally well. That is the
,-oube. She has said often and often that she
oil not after her death, have her properly
split I'd II will all go to one person; but she
,ss not told us who that person will be. IL
nust be either my brother Jacob or myself. for
.hs has no other near relative and she Is not
aovoid Of family feeling But which Of the
two will il be? Jacob 1 am sorry to say, uses
means 10 gain her favor OF which should be
ashamed IT, on the other hand. she should
ultimately choose 10 leave her property to me
ahoush | can quite understand her choice Of
ma as A man with higher sense Of response
Nli,y than jacob. should still feel strong
Sympathy for Jacob in his loss.
Let me give you one instance Of the kind Of
,hng that Jacob will condescend to do. Some
time ago he came 20 me and asked me If had
any engagement for the evening of March H.
I said mo
well" he said, II have bought theatre
ticket for that night and / find that ! am
likely 10 be called away on business and may
b. unable to use 1t. II that is the case lose
the whole price Of the ticket. l can't get them
to take It back at the Office, and consequently
I will let you have 1t for half-price. Then you
can 20 to the theatre on a clear reduction OF
30 per cent"
Observe the low cunning he displayed II he
had offered to give me the ticket should have
guessed at once that he had some scheme on
hand. Jacob does not give things. II he had
offered to sell NE the ticket at its face value
/ should have refused at once. BY Offering II
at half-price he made me accept II unsuspi-
eousiy. Indeed, have not q suspecting nature.
Now. though had forgotten it. March IL Is
the date on which Uncle William died some
twelve years ago. and Uncle William was Aunt
Elzsoeth's devoted husband You now see the
dirty trick which Jacob had played me. He
called at Aunt Elizabeth's in the evening, said
that this was a gloomy day and that he had
been to the cemetery to put flowers on the
grave. She turned TO him and said:
where is Josephf Why is he not with your
Joseph" said my brother Seems to have
forgotten what happened to-day. He would not
otherwise have chosen this night to go to the
HiYolty Theatre to see an indecent musical
farce 1t took me long time 70 get over the
bad impression thus created.
near. Jacob came to me and asked me point
blank what was going to spend my pres
ent.
We'll" l said, business Is very bad. This
year shan't spend more than flyer"
That IS all right Joseph" he replied "No
more will l."
Then he went away and spent ten pounds on
his present. That was despicable trick. But
had spent fifteen; so it didn't do him any good.
And the old lady noticed the difference. She
generally notices the value Of things. When she
doesn't know, she asks. You may be quite sure
/ dropped the bill for that birthday present in
her bedroom by accident. a little tact like that
Is sure to tell. However, when Christmas was
coming Oh we both Of us felt that the question
OF the present TO Aunt Elizabeth ought to be
put on a business basis. SO j called a meeting
ct my Office, which Jacob attended. | pointed
out 10 him that II he attempted TO best me as
he had done before We should have TO quarrel
and that If that happened Aunt Elizabeth would
leave her property to neither Of us. She dislikes
family quarrels. lie quite agreed to this. To
make everything absolutely certain, decided
10 give one present between the two, the sub
scripton for each side to be ten pounds 1T was
further resolved: |. That the present should
be Of Kind which would not depreciate in
va!ue-nOt. for Instance any article of furniture