Missouri Valley times. [volume] (Missouri Valley, Iowa) 1874-1931, 1915-07-01
ThePowero Of
Sympathy
BY ESTHER vANDEvEER

When the Spanish-American war
broke out Ralph and Edgar Townsend,
brothers, enlisted in the same regi-
ment of sharpshooters and were as
signed to the same company. One day
they We're out on the picket line snip
Ing for the Spanlards. Their posi-
ton was behind stone wall, its con-
tinuity broken here and there. Ralph
was on one side of gap, while Ed
gar was on the other side, the opening
between them being eight or ten yards
Edgar concluded to make dash to
join his brother. He had passed safe
ly over all but couple Of yards OF the
distance when Ralph saw a Spanish
sharpshooter taking aim at his brother
Ralph had just emptied his piece OF
he would have shot the Spaniard. AS
1t was, he sprang between him and
Edgar and received shot which.
grazing the spine, paralyzed his lower
limbs He was discharged from the
service and sent home, where he sub
mitted to an operation that partly re-
stored his locomotive powers, but he
was in measure crippled for life.
AS soon as the war was over Edgar
Townsend rejoined his brother, resolv-
Ing to devote the rest Of his life tn
him. Ralph was twenty years old,
Edgar twenty-five. Ralph would not
admit that he was crippled and was
very sensitive at the mention of his
being so. AS for Edgar making any
change whatever in his life's plans on
his account he would not hear of it,
nor did Ralph seem to realize that he
had sacrificed himself for his brother.
He considered what he had done sim
ply in the line of his duty as SOL
der. Edgar, on the contrary, was i'm
pressed with the idea that his brother
had taken a burden which he should
have borne himself
Nevertheless as soon as Edgar saw
that Ralph was ayerse to such an in
depreciation of the status between
them, he refrained from any mention
Of 1t, and wherever 1t was possible to
conceal. any sacrifice he made for his
brother he did so. He soon came to
studying Italph's wishes, and wherever
they conflicted with his own, made pre-
tense that what Ralph wanted was dis
tasteful to him.
Then came Edith Payne into the
lives Of the brothers. She was sympa-
thetic with Ralph, but her heart Went
out to Edgar. The one she loved as
one who needed her, the other she
loved as one she needed Edgar, MOTTO
ing that his brother was daily grow
ing more dependent on her, refrained
from paying her any marked atten-
ton.
AS time went on Edgar perceived
that Edith was growing to he neces-
sity to Ralph. Moreover, he noticed
that While Edith was devoted to Ralph,
there We're indications that her heart
was setting toward himself. One day
when he and Edith were speaking of
Ralph Edgar said to her
II feel 1t my duty to say to you,
Edith, that have seen what perhaps
has passed unnoticed by you. Ralph
loves you"
The girl paled. and she had cause to
pale. She loved Edgar and she knew
that while his brother held this view,
Edgar was lost to her. He would new
er stand between his brother and her.
81 hope" she said presently, ''that
you are mistaken"
"And hope" said Edgur, if you
think you cannot respond, that you are
mistaken. Our attentions to those de-
pendent upon us often draw us to them
with far greater force than we realize"
Edith sighed. She knew that the
man she loved was endeavoring to
persuade her to give herself to the man
she only pitied. But she said nothing
more. She knew what Edgar would
have her do She did not know his
feelings toward her, but she surmised
that he had no desire to possess her
himself. Even If he had he would
give her up to his brother.
Soon after this brief dialogue Edgar
went away for a time, leaving Edith
and Ralph together Before his de-
parture he said to Edith, II hope when
l return to find that you have decided
to make Ralph happy"
1t was thus that Edith was led to
bear part of the burden of the man
she loved by giving herself to the man
she did not love. She considered what
he had said to her command, and
she would not disobey. When Edgar
returned she told him that she and
Ralph We're engaged.
She looked Edgar in the eye when
she made the announcement, hoping TO
see him vince. If it was shock to
him he concealed 1t so we'll that she
| was deceived From that time she
| gave herself up more and more to
Ralph's companionship, and when the
wedding day came went with him to
4 the altar a martyr.
Then Edgar. feeling that his brother
no longer needed him as before, spent
much of his time away from him.
Some said he did not dare trust him
self near his brothers wife.
AS the years sped on Ralph Town
send grew more and more helpless, his
wife more and more devoted to him.
| Ten years after his marriage he died.
Those who knew Of the sacrifice that
had been made supposed that Edith
and Edgar would quickly come togeth-
err. They have been disappointed.
Four years after Edith became a Wild
ow she and Edgar had not married. 1t
Is said that she illustrates Edgar's
words to her years before, Our atten-
tons to those dependent upon us often
1 draw us to them with far greater force
than we realize"