Okolona messenger. (Okolona, Miss.) 1900-current, 1920-12-16

CHAPTER xVI-contInued.

''But this scheme OF life had this In
Ct that brought disaster to his sons
q laxness Of any discipline related to
their spiritual and mental develop
ment. When we were corrected or
punished It was for conduct which af-
fected his comfort or dignity, never
for a thing which affected the develop
ment Of our character.
1--WE had abundant money to spend.
It was a part OF our fathers egotism
that we should be young swells, and
we we're early In disOrdetly ways.
Richard had a genius for cruelty. A
normal boy is likely to be thOughtless.
but Richard was inventive in his cru
elites. II was brutal. He liked to
tear things to pieces slowly, a fly II 1t
was all he could catch-a grasshOpper,
a field mouse had faithful little
coz which Richard stHked out In the
ground and killed by vivisectiOn.
saw the little animal when 1t was
breathing its last with its bowels ex-
posed and Its lungs laid bare.
Orchard destroyed birds nests for
pleasure. He liked TO cut leg off q
hen and see 1t stagger about vainly
trying to walk. He MANNED dogs. He
tortured cattle and horses. He killed
fine carriage horse by driving 1t to
death purposely to see how long 1t
would live under the treatment he
gave 1t.
AR So.,hA Gho% noe moro loVahIp
child, bat at least I did not have the
attribute Of cruelty. l was not only
Younger but was weaker physically.
was sensitive to degree which made
me an extraordinary victim to Richard
when ha cared to express his tiendish-
ness to or upon me.
1--WE were getting into late child
hood should say that l was about
fourteen-when Richard began to use
his inventiveness In cruelty upon me
directly. AS soon as he had taste
of the delight which came from tor
menting me Y had no further peace.
~ remember with a still agOnized
vividness my experience In finding q
snake in my bed. He had put 1t there
He used his superior strength to tor
ture me physically. He dominated me
spiritually. He made life hell, such
a hell as life can be made only for @
child by mistreatment, when reality
has not starkly asserted itself, wher
proportions are not established anc
when illusions can be kindly or hide
GUS.
"I.ichard and grew up in this fash
iOn in terror of him and his malevo
Ience. When was fifteen mother died
She had been an unassertive mother
Circumstances and conditions were be
yond her strength Of mind or body, bu1
she lad been a friend, and missed
her cruelty. 1t was really terrible
loss ut q time when / much needed G
friend.
"As we grew older Richards dia
bolical habits became only shrewder
not less assertive. He contrived the
most Ingenious schemes for my tor
ment. He Inundated me whenever
possible before other boys and, better
for his purpose, before girls.
my father put us out to school to
gether, and this suited Richards pur
pose admirably. How l hated this
thing that bore my name and my blood
It became an indomitable hate. Il
exists to this day. No human being
ever was so hated by another as my
brother Richard was by ne-and Is
is to this moment and will be hatet
while breath remains in my body.
"When l was eighteen my father
died, and Richard and inherited thu
estate under a trusteeship to continue
until I was twenty-one. Richard wa'
then twenty. In another year he at
tanned his majority. He was profligat'
and wild, a heavy drinker, coarse
cruel boOr licentious young rutfiaT
who had suffered twice in actions
brought by weak and unfortunate
girls.
ut irritated him beyond expression
that he had to wait the slow process
of my coming Of age before he coult
come into his share of the property
Ills CUUSluul uClllSuuUL LOWulu va
violent. Several times l tried to estab
fish the reasonable relations whicl
ought. In convention, to exist between
brothers It was quite hopeless, ant
my hate for this boor came to be al
insane passion. 1t remains as a pas
sion now,
II may not be able to satisfy anyon
that this was the inevitable cOnse
quence of the treatment given me, bu
/ could IL / were to elaborate the de
tails--or merely state them. However
my purpose is not so much to indie
my brother as to record my own tri
umph-to assist the commission Of
crime which has been Of intense salts
faction to me, crime in which hav
msintained my culpabillty with Jo
and from which Richard has suffere,
and Is suffering.
''ETe Is broken old man. he is 4
a penitentiary."
Here followed section Of the man
HseFlpt from which, as recognized
tie page Dravada had taken was miss
ting. Then It continued:
II became q little more assertive o
my rights and dignity, with the resul
that our quarreIs were more violent
~ "a r..,,-r1A v.R,,-,s..0e.. A. -.