Year: 1871

suppose you really love these rough,
teasing brothers of yours, but don't you
think you might show it IA little more
pleasantly | can tell you | know all
about boys. was brought up in house
full of them. | have enough in my own
house this very minute to keep things
from getting dull and stupid. know just
how rough, and noisy, and needless they
are how they forget to wipe their feet on
muddy days, throw their caps and scarts
on the floor, and leave their books in the
queerest places, to be hunted up in the last
minute before school time | know how
they whittle on the carpets,paste kites on
the chair seats, daub the table covers with
paint, aud spill mucilage on the bed and
bureau. know how they come with a
whoop, and clatter up stairs like so many
fire engines, the moment the baby goes to
sleep and how they are always leaving
the doors open, and cutting, and burning,
and blowing themselves up. But for all
that We could not spare them from our
home very well, could we and isn't there
something wrong in the family when sisters
can call their brothers "nuisances ?? Yes
that's the very word she used, and I've re-
membered it these half dozen years, for
the speaker was a pretty delicate girl and
| was good deal astonished to hear her
say, " 4 boy in family of girls is a per-
feet nuisance"


The "nuisance" came home from school
presently;a a hearty, good-natured-looking
boy of eleven or twelve, whistling "king-
domcoming'' with all his spare breath.
He stopped suddenly as he saw me, and
came forward awkwardly enough, to speak
to me, for he was evidently unaccustomed
to meeting company. Unfortunately his
foot came in contact with his elder sisters
dress, soiing it slightly.


"You clumsy thing" was the impa-
tient exclamation "you ought to be kept
in cage"


I looked from the crimson face OF the
nuisance" and tried to fancy how sweetly
that sister would have assured an older
gentleman that it was Of no consequence
at all, and was entirely her own fault for
taking up so much room. In an arm chair,
one of the younger sisters was curled up,
examining with great interest new mag
azine. An exclamation of delight brought
her brother to her side, and he was soon
absorbed in the engrayings, looking over
her shoulder


"Wait just second" he begged, as she
was turning page.


80, you always want to see something" :"
said the sister. fretfully, 81 hate to have
any one look over my shoulder


So it was, from morning until night.
There was not place in that house, so
far as | could see, where the boy was
wanted, or a person wanted him and !
wondered if the dear, dead mother knew
how it was, and whether it would not make
her heart ache, even in heaven, to see it.
If the sisters walked, or rode or sang, or
played croquet, no one ever said "Come
Johnny" And l really suppose they
thought he did not care for their laughing
and teasing;and snubbing, just because he
was boy, and because he was too brave
to show that he cared. | found out an
other thing, toe, and that was that the
"nuisance" was very convenient when the
pony was to be harnessed, the pitcher to
be filed with cool water, big bundle to
be carried down town. or a disagreeable
errand to be done; yet | never heard any
one say THANK you, Johnny it was kind
in you TO take the trouble"


No doubt he would have stared il they