The Saint Paul globe., 1905-01-22

hills appears to be the disposition of
young relatives. Cursed by fate is the
youngster in whose hands repose the
destinies of a younger brother, not yet
of years sufficient to tend his own af-z
fairs. Always in the way, with absurd
demands for consideration, backed up
by threats to relate certain outlaw do
ings to stern parents, the toddler is
menace to all happiness. His shoes
have to be tied. and his ears get cold,
and just when his elder is becoming
recOnciled to existence, he sets up
shrill lamentation for the delights of
home and pantry. He may even claim
proprietary rights in the sled, for
which he has no more tangible proof
than the memory OF some impulsive
promise given under the stress of a
woodbox to be filled, or some other toll
that conf1icted with other insistent
plans.
Little brother with his curls and
ridiculous and unsuitable clothing is
certainly a pest, that whimperingly
withstands torrents of juvenile abuse,
conscious of certain bias toward him in
the court of last appeal. He is grudg-
ingly cared for until he becomes intol-
cradle and is finally left to his own
devices until his tear spring runs dry
and. he wanders off home tc spin tale
Iaof wrong that stirs the maternal heart
spring with the slipper or hairbrush.
Sisters in the Way
The eternal feminine is also problem
that eonfronts the small boy in his
coasting days. If he with the small
brother, is to be pitied, what is there
for him that is afflicted with a sister?
The compassion of his tried and trusty
friends, the kids" is wholly made
quate. Sister has all the irritant quail
ties of brother, and in addition makes
herself positively heinous by being
girl monumental incumbranee, in
fnitely useless, to be put up with for
no other reason than that blind fate de-
creed her one of the family. Sister
knows she is a lady, and is already
learned in the arts thereof, SO that she
must go at every sport in an awkward
spirit. 1t isn't nice for little girls to
| ride their sleds after the fashion of
boys, and she obstinately holds out for
the conventions and assumes a sort of
side saddle attitude that completely
| nullifies all steering skill.
| Clearly there is no hope for fame,
when one carries the handicap of sis
| ter. Miserable mediocrity is the most
| that can be expected. Perhaps sisters
importance in the household is such
| that the family sled was designed for
/ her comfort, and brother has to come
to the hill with one of those high
runner affairs, a slew going craft with
i possibilities for respectability, and for
this reason all the more to be con-
demned and be despised.. They ramble
| along sidewise, while the sister-free
youth on the low spring runner dashes
by, holding true to the track and gain
ing momentum every fraction of Sec
so1ld The only thing to do is to simu-
Hate incompetency, tip sister over as
frequently as possible in hope that
the continual disarrangement of her
|Sfinery will finally arouse her wrath to
1 the point of taking the sled and trudg-'
ing indignantly home, thus abrogating
fraternal responsibility. Then the free
masonry of kids" will provide place for
! the afflicted brother with eongenial So
! ciety.
The Days of Long Ago
The sight of youngsters eoasting
down hill is strangely provocative of
memories of long ago. On recent
Sunday afternoon, when the Cedar
lsstreet hill, coming down from the new
capitol, was alive with boys and girls,
there was a little group of men stand
ing at the corner of Summit and Cedar.
They were the fathers of some of the
young mob, and forgetfuI of their own
/ ability in their day We're gathered to
keep a paterna1 eye over the we'll being
OF certain tykes. 1t may have been
that maternal misgiyings caused their