Southport telegraph. [volume] (Southport, W.T. [i.e. Kenosha, Wis.]) 1840-1850, 1842-07-27
MISCELLA ANY.
A LEGEND OF LIFE AND LOVE

aud grief, as well as satisfaction and plea
sure The man who lives on from year TO
year, jealous of ever placing himself in a
situation where the chances can possibly
turn against him-ice, as it were, su.roun-
ding his heart, and his minds to scrupu-
lousy weighing in balance the results Of
giving away TO any one Of those proptrsl-
ties his creator has planted in his heart
may be philosopher, but can never be
happy man.
Upon the banks Of a pleasant river stood
a cottage, the residence Of an ancient man
whose limbs were fccbed with the weight
of years and of former sorrow. In his
appeiilcs easily gratlied, like the simple
race Of people among whom he lived, eve
ry want Of existence was supplied by few
fertile acres. Those acres were titled and
tended by two brothers, grandsons of the
old man, and dwcllcrs also in the cottage
The parents Of the boys lay buried near by.
Nathan, the elder, had hardly seen his
twentieth summer. He was beautiful
youth. Glossy hair clustered upon his
head, and his checks were very brown
from sunshine AMI open air Though the
eyes Of Nathan were soft and liquid, like
a girls, and his checks curlcd with a VOL
uptuous swell, exercise and Labor had de-
vcIopcd his limbs into noble and manly pro-
portion. The bands Of hunters, as they
met sometimes to start off together, after
the game upon the neighboring hills, could
hardly show one among their number who
in loneliness, strength, or activity, might
compete with the youthful Nathan.
Mark was but Il year younger than his
brother. He, too had great beauty.
In course of time the ancient sickcncd,
and knew that he was going to die Be
fore the approach Of the fatal hour, he call
cd before him the Two youths, and address,
cd them thus:
" The world, my children, is full Of de-
ccit. Evil men swarm in every place ::
and sorrow and disappointments are the
fruits Of intercourse with them. SO wis
dom is wary.
:" Aud as the things of life are only shad-
ows, passing like the darkness OF cloud,
Irvine no bands Of love about your hearts
For love is the iickelest Of the things &C
lie. The object Of our affection dies, and
we thcnccIorth anguish IN agony; or per-
haps the love we covet dies, and that is
more painlel yet.
'' 1t is wcllnever TO .confido in any nan
1t is well to keep aloof from the follies and
impurities of earth. Let there be no links
between you and others. Let not any
being control you through your depend
"ncc upon him for portion Of ycur hap
pincss. This, my sons, have learned by
bitter experience, is the teaching Of truth. "
Within a few days afterwards, the old
man was pIa"cd away in the marble tomb
Of his kindred, which was built on a hill
by the shore.
Now the injunction given to Nathan and
his brother; injunctions frequently impress
ed upon them before by the same monito-
rial voice were pondcrcd over by each
youth in his inmost heart. They had al
ways hahItually respected their grandSirc;
Whatever came from his mouth; Therefore,
| seemed as the words Of an oracle not to be
gainsaycd.
Soon the path of Nathan CHANGED to be
sundcred from that Of Mark.
An the trees caved out, and then in
autumn cast their foliage and in due
course Icavcd out again, and again, and
many times again-and the brothers met
not vet.
Two score years and ten! what change
works over the earth in such a space as
two score wears and tcn
AS the sun, an hour ere sitting. cast long
sIantlng shadows TO the eastward, two mon
wthcrcd, and with hair thin and snowy,
came wcarily up from opposite directions.
and Stood together at n tomb built on hill
10y the borders Of fair river. Why do
they start, as each casts his dim eyes
towards the face Of ne other? Why do
tears drop down their checks, and their
frames trcmbic even morc than with the
fecbleness Of age? They arc the long sep
aratcd brethren and they cnfold themselves
in one anothor's arms
''And yet" said Mark. after a few mo-
monts. stepping back. and gazing earnest
~ upon his companions form and features,
and vet il wonders me that thou art nv
brother. There should be brave and
beautiful youth, with black curls upon his
head, and not those pale emblems Of de-
cay. And my brother should be straight
and nimbe--not bent and lettering as
thou"
The speaker cast a second searching
gance-a glance Of discomfort.
"And l." rcioincd Nathan, g might
require for my brother. not such SILVER
ing limbs as I sec. and instead Of that
cracked voice, the full swelling music of a
morning heart-but that half Il century is
fearful meter ofcomel;ness and strength
for half century il is, dear brother, since
nv hand touched thine, or my gaze rested
upon thy face"
Mark sighed and answered not
Then in a little while. they made enqui-
ries about what had befalcn either during
the time past Seated upon the marble by
which they had met, Mark briefly told his