Emmons County record. [volume] (Williamsport, D.T. [i.e. N.D.]) 1884-current, 1920-11-18


Of cruel conventionalities upon indi-
viduals who. accepting conventions,
however odiOus and cruel. are helpless.
The bond of blood is one no animal
\ (animals being rationalistic) tolerates.
even recognizes, but it is imposed up.
on human beings. who find that the
most antagonistic natures must rec
oncile themselves to an arbitrary rule
of life which can come only to hide
BUSINESS.
There were in our family two chill
dren, my brother Richard and myself.
Our parents were the ordinary folk
who marry and have family. My
father was an uncOmlnunicative man,
whether from Il habit Of silence or a
lack. Of anything to say, do not
know.
my mother, as recall her, was
gentle but, ! imagine, futile. I think
If she had had chance of establish
ing personality my silent. glum ia
Their had destroyed it.
Richard was my elder by two years,
My father was wealthy, very wealthy,
and Richard and were not disciplined
as to money. My father was not Pc
nurious. but I never knew man who
obtained 50 little good of his money.
He had no social instincts; he had no
j0viality:
"He liked occasional ostentation-a
petty form Of vanity and egotism.
regarded him. or my memory Of him,
as wholly detestable "a sentiment
which will offend the sentimentally
conventional. or the conventionally sen.
timental. know he was the last man
would have chosen as a father.
But this scheme OF life had this Ia
1t that brought disaster to,his sons
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 thing which affected the develop
nnent Of our character,
I'VE had abundant money to spend.
It was a part Of our fathers egotism
that we should be young swells. and
we were early in disorderly ways
Richard had genius for cruelty. A
normal boy is likely to be thoughtless,
but Richard was inventive in his cru
elites. 1t was brutal. He liked to
tear things to pieces slowly, fly r. It
was all he could catch-a grasshOpper,
a field mouse. l had faithful little
dog which Richard staked out in the
ground and killed by vivisection. I
saw. the little animal when 1t was
breathing fits last with its bowels ,ex.
posed and its lungs aid bare.
Richard destroyed birds nests for
pleasure. He liked to cut a leg Off a
hen and see 1t: stagger about vainlv
trying to walk. He MANNED dogs. He
tortured cattle. and horses. He killeff
fine carriage horse by driving it to
death purposely to see how long -
would live under the treatment he
gave 1t.
81 doubt that l was a more lovable
child. but at least did not have the
attribute Of cruelty. I was not only
Younger but was weaker physically.
was sensitive to degree which made
me an extraordinary victim to Richard
when he cared to express his fiendish-
ness to or upon me.
1--WE were getting into late child
hood should say that 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 had no further peace.
II remember with still agonfzed
vividness my experience In finding a
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. he made only for a
child by mistreatment, when reality
has not starkly asserted itself, when
proportions are not established and
when illusions can be kindly or hide
GUS.
'Richard and grew up IN this fash.
ed charm Of a ghost.story. His grave
was to be marked by On unostenta,
tions stone. The inscription was t.
be as he directed In a note In sealed
enclosure to be opened at the time
Mrs. Sidney thought appropriate.
It might be. he had written, thai
Mrs. Sidney would not want the stone
erected during her life. Her wishes
were to be consulted. When the grave
was marked. IT, It ever was. the In
scription was to: be as he directed
Mrs. Sidney. acquainted with thu
terms Of this extraordinary mortuar,
note. said that 1t was her wish to have
the sealed envelope opened immediate
| ~ and its instructions carried out.
Christmas night had set in. and thu
place was fairyland Of glisteninf
white. Far-ofr- church-bells SOUNDED
family across the snow. In the In
creasing cold, following the abatement
Of the storm. timbers In the old house
creaked and snapped, and when one O
the peopleNbf the house, on an outdoor
chore. passed within earshot, the sount
Of footsteps was audible and the crisl
crunching which. even 40 does q higi