The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1905-12-03

ut HE Birches are such a united
family. They seem to have a
good time among themselves,
and to depend very little on the outside
world" The remark was descriptive Of
"a family which had So large a connec-
tion that it might almost be called a
clan. You know how it is iii some To-
calitieS. Many years ago the tradition
al three brothers came sailing over the
great ocean, and established themselves
ON Long island or i'm OtsegO county, or
drifted out in prairie SchOoners 10 the
west or encamped in the south. Hence,
there is in one place a great settlement
of Browns, in another Of Whites. in
another Of Grays. Uphill and down in
adjacent parishes the COusinhOOd re-
sides. and the Outbrauching of the
family 10 remOter regions starts from
that point. so that when there are fam
lily rallyings, old and young, distant
and near. converge To the old ground
and the old homestead. The tie of blood
is always strong, but here are tribes
of David and of Jonathan, where the
tribal instinct is relatively mroe VigOT-
GUS than in tribes. let US say, of Benja-
min and OF Theodore. who have the
nomadic drop more deeply cOloring
their lives.
When we come TO q united household,
We mean by il one where affection is
deep and true, where IT is a joy 10 make
concessions and sacrifices, and where
one stands steadfastly beside the other
through thick and thin. There are
such homes. In them brothers and sis
ters love one another with a devotion
that lasts 10 the latest hour of life. II
one ia the family is weak or eFring the
others close around him like a wall
and defend him from adverse criticism,
shield him if they can from the con-
sequences OF his misdemeanors. and
count no sclf-deniSl too great if they
can upIift him and help him over his
hard place.
II is not unusual i'm Il united family
Tor the burden To press too heavily on
some one whose ideal Of the home is so
lofty that he cannot bear 10 have any
one belonging 10 il suffer a moments
uneaSineSs. one brother perhaps FORCES
ahead. gets on IN the world and is what
Is called successful He makes his
mark. He becomes conspicuous I'm
nnance, I'm politics or in some walk OF
life which be is fitted for by reason Of
native talent or strenuous endeaVor.
The world is apt TO be pretty evenly
divided into those who life and those
who lean. The eminently successful
t4+N@t-DNA "a SAtN Aet4liAiN II fApNttF1 10
carry the rest, and he often does it
without single note of complaint.
In the old days. before women We're
so generally seif-supporting, il was not
extraordinary TO see a number OF broth
erS and sisters growing old together
all unmarried, because no one was will
ing 20 diminish the family income by
Withdrawing his share from the com
mon stock. Brothers do not so often
III these days remain single that they
maintain spinSter sisters in comfort.
nor do the sisters wish IT, They feel
entirely able 10 take care OF them
selves, and it is decidedly their prefer
ence to be Independent There seemd
no little sclhshness in the demand that
man or woman should live a solitary
life. for the sake of others. and vet
there was I'm il often nobility greater
than is illustrated i'm the modern fash
Jon Of every one for himself. Many
daughter has nut aside her own hope
az individual case and of hannv mar
riage 10 rthe sake Of a brother whom
she could not leave aud with whom
she would not burden q husband. The
mother has lived on couteutedly accent
ing costly sacrifice which she has un-
dervalued because its magnitude never
entered into the scope OF her magma
tion.
In one OF the most united families
within the circle Of my acquaintance
there occurred something very like
tragedy when a girl year after year