The Washington times., 1904-08-05
HOW TO BE * SUCCESSFUL
SISTER TO YOUR BROTHER
Many Girls Make Mistake in Thinking Their Broth
er Is Not Worth Bothering With.

sisters; on the contrary. a sister who
has mastered the art can occupy
unique position with her brother II she
chooses. But she is considered as an
abstraction. not as a woman. The pla-
tonic affection some women talk so
much about and profess to long for
amounts 10 no more than this.
There are three great essentials 70 the
art OF being sister. The nrSt Is not
so much unselfishneSs as the power Of
absolute self-eifacement upon occasion.
The second IS complete control Of the
temper. y woman may lose her temper
with her father or her lover or her
parents or any other man of her ac-
quaintance without its making any per-
manent difference, but she must never
lose her temper with her brother. or
what little influence she had with him
viii go with il. The third essential
is the tact of an ambassador.
y sister should expect nothing from a
brother unless she IS prepared to be
disappointed. Above all. she must not
expect to have any influence with him
II she sets II up against that Of the wO-
man he loves. The sister is bound TO so
to the wall, and has probably made an
enemy into the bargain. Brothers VIII
confide In their sisters IL they show
themselves worthy of it.
a sister can be helpful If she is dis
Greet. She can make an excellent buff
fer. In her brothers love affair she can
act gooseberry or carry away the uade-
sirabIe fourth party and distract his
more likely her-attention. In her bro
theirs money affairs she can be the GO
between and peacemaker with the par
entS. But she needs great deal Of
tact and self-cOmmand and she needs
to be a young woman who is not com
pletely absorbed IN herself or she will
blunder. a touchy woman, always lock-
ing out for sights a selfish wOna 4
who cannot give up a single pleasuI 9
"A hnrs 80
disciplined woman who makes scenes
all these are hopeless failures as sis
ters. and had better give up the bust
ness.
The Brothers Wife.
The test usually comes when the bro
Their maIries. A good many sisters shut
fie along somehow with their unmarried
brothers and because they are used 10
each other IL does not strike them that
there Is anything wrong. But when the
brother marries. and especially If he
marries a woman his sister does not
happen to like. this makeshift relation
ship breaks down. The sister probably
deceives herself into believing that be-
cause her brother has always been good
natured and friendly TO her she has IN
influence over him. Possibly she has
but il only lasts so long as she agrees
with him absolutely. II is so shadowy
and unsubstantial a thing that a breath
OF contradiction blows IL away. and ii is
never recovered
The wise sister advances three parts
OF the way 10 meet the other woman
whether she likes her or not. Nine
times out OF ten she Will De received
with open arms. Nine out of ten brides
do not come into family with anv de-
sire save 10 be friendly. Devotion 10 a
brother never alienated a sister-In-lay "
In this world II Is the selflslness and
Jealousy OF the sister masquerading as
devotion which makes the breach. And
II Is desperately shOTt-sfghted policy in
the sister a man leaves his father and
motner land how much more his sister?J
70 cleaNe 70 his wife. So il the sister
Is void OF discretion she loses her broth
or and rails 70 gain what can be the
most delightful OF friends-a young mar
RED woman IN her own family
IL does not follow at all that q good
daughter makes a good sister. Good
daughters, from very excess Of dutiful-
ness, are often out Of sympathy win
inc younger generation. But q eooc
sister always makes a good wife She
mas the sense OF camaraderie which Sc
cures success In matrimOny, she knows
how TO be a companion and a heIpmeet
10 a man. A bad sister not only makes
a PAD Wlte, but she runs a very good
chance OF never being a wife at an
tOr II a woman cannot make herself
pleasant 10 her brother she cannot make
herseH alluring 10 other men when
she may wish 10 do So