Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1904-12-15

ONCE his earliest childhood Arthur
- Ellington had adored his beauti-
full and statuesque mother, and, in re-
turn, his mother worshiped-his broth
er John.
Like a filial and super-youthful Sir
Galahad, his pure and fervent devo-
ton had never wavered. There had
been no interval in all his short life in
which he was not her faithful knight,
nor any age at which he was not ready
to do her service-to challenge creation
on her behalf. But circumstances had
been against the expression of his
loyalty. No opportunity had been CIV
en- him-nor, being reticent by nature,
did he desire it-of clothing his en-
thusiasm in the adequate language of
his well-bred class and world.
To most people the fact that the
Honorable Mrs. Ellington was a widow
with but two sons IN whom to lavish
her affection made her palpable favor
itism the more ineXcusable. In the first
place, there had been, from Mrs. Ril-
ington's point of view, two children
where one would have sufficed-for her
sons were twins. John-the elder by
a short half-hour-was the heir, there
fore needed and welcomed. But for
Arthur there was no such ready-made
role, nor, as far as his mother could
see, any reason or necessity for his ex-
istence. Poor little chap!" his father
had dubbed him at sight, with an in
stinct of prophetic commiseration. A
year later Major Ellington was killed
in a railway accident, and Arthur was
left practically parentless. His moth
er's heart had not holding capacity for
the two beside herself.
In addition to the privileges con-
ferred by primogeniture, all the deco
rative graces of body and mind
that the beautiful worldly woman most
priced had been centered on John; Ar
thur, who was small and plain and ST.
lent, came in nowhere. From his nur-
sery days John was what is called
there a taking child; healthy, good
looking, good-tempered; of such i'm
%portance in the household that he was
always John-never Johnny or Jack
even to his mother. Consequently his
bearing was assured, his fear
less and expansive. The lesson that
took Arthur the morning to learn Johr
mastered in an hour. Gagged by the
same formal standard the brothers
''panned out" differently. Whether the
ore they yielded was of the same value
neither mother nor tutors paused tt
inquire.
Between themselves the boys, though
antithetical, were not antagonistic
John looked down to Arthur and was
kind, and Arthur accepted the position
and looked up to John. His sole in
heritance from his mother was an in
clination to think that all was for thu
best in this best of possible worlds
That the treatment he received in |
was different from that awarded to hi
brother did not affect his finding,
In spite of the great gulf fixed be
tween them by their mothers injudi
cious hand, the twins had taken eacl
progressive step in their existence sid,
by side. They had gone to Harrow
together, and had entered and had lief
Sandhurst at the same time. Tha
Johns name appeared 9 ar the tol
of the list and his brothers. not ia
from the other end surprised no one.
Only one person among all Mrs
Rilington's friends had the temerity t
remark that 1t was astonishing. Mrs
Rilington's reply was a se~lf-revelation
poor little Arthur, he hasn't don
badly for him! He must have worke
hard to have got through at all. W
didn't expect he would. fancy John
example influenced him more than an
of us know. Oh, no! There is nc
the least fear that he has overworke