Evansville weekly journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ind.) 184?-18??, 1848-01-07
A TOUCHING STORY
BY PROFESSOR WILSON.

BY PROFESSOR WILSON.
The coffin was letdown to the bottom of
the grave, the planks were removed from the
heaped up brink, the irst rafting clods had
struck their knell, the quick shovelling was
over, and the long, broad, skilfully cut pieces
of turf were aptly joined together, and trinity
laid by the beating spade, so that the newest
mound in the church yard was scarcely distin
guished from those that were grown over BY
the undisturbed grass and daisies of a luxuriant
spring. The burial was soon over, and the
party with one c%onsenting motion, having UNI
covered their heads in decent reverence of the
place and occasion, were beginning to sega
rate and about to leave the church-yard. Here
some acquaintance from different parts of the
parish, who had not had an Opportunity of
addressing each other in the house that had be-
longed to the deceased; nor in the course of the
hundred yards that the little procession had to
move from his bed to his grave, were shaking
hands quietly but cheerfully, and enduring af-
ter the welfare of each others families. There
a Knot of %neighbors were speaking without ex-
aggeration, of the respectable character which
the deceased had borne, and mentioning to one
another the little incidents of his life, some
of them so remote as to be known only to the
gray-headed Of the group. While a few yards
further, removed from the spot, were standing
together parties who discussed ordinary con-
Germs, altogether ~unconnected with the funer-
al, such as the state of the markets, the promise
of the season, or change of tenants; but still
with a sobrlety of manner and voice that was
insensibly produced by the influence of the
simple ceremony now closed, by the quiet
graves around, and the shadow of the spire
and gray walls of the house of God.
Two men yet stood together at the head of
the grave with severe and unimpassioned grief,
They were brothers-the only sons of him
who had been buried; and there was some
thing in their situation that naturally kept the
eyes of many directed upon them for a long
time, and more i%ntently than would have been
the case had there been nothing more observa-
BILE than the common symptoms of common
sorrow. But these two brothers who were
standing at the head of their fathers grave, had
for some years been totally estranged from each
other, and the only few words that had passed
between them during all that time, had been
uttered within a few days past, during the ne
cessary preparations for the old mans funeral.
Nodeep and deadly quarrel was between
these brothers, and neither of them could dis
tinctly tell the cause of this unnatural strange-
ment. Perhaps dim jealousies oftheir fathers
favor; selfish thoughts that will sometimes
force themselves into poor mems hearts, res
pectlng temporal expectations, unaccommoda-
ting manners on both Sides; t~aunting words
that mean little when uttered, but which ram
kle and tester in remembrance; imagined oppo-
sition of interest, that, duly considered, would
have been one and the same; these and many
other causes, slight when single, but strong
when rising up together in one baneful band,
had gradually and fatally infected their hearts,
till at last they who in youth had been seldom
separate, and truly attached, now met at mar
ket, and miserable to say, at church, with dark
and averted faces, like different clansmen, du-
ring a feud.
Surely if anything could have softened their
hearts towards each other, it must have been to
stand silently side by side, while the earth,
stone and clods, were falling down upon their
fathers coffin. And doubtless their hearts
were so softened. But pride, though it cannot
prevent the holy affections of nature from be-
ing felt, may prevent them from being shown;
and these two brothers stood there together,
determined not to let each other know the mu-
tual tenderness that in spite of them was gush-
ing up in their hearts, and teaching them the
~unconfessed folly and wickedness of their
causeless quarrel.
A head stone had been prepared, and a per-
son came forward to plant it-a plain stone,
with a sand glass, scull and cross bones, CHS
seled, not rudely, and a few words inscribed.
The younger brother regarded the operation
witha troubled eye, and said, loudly enough to
be heard by several of the bystanders-"Wil-
liam, this is not kind in you--you should have
told me of this. loved my father as we'll as
you could have lovedhim. You were the elder,
and it may be, the ~favorite son; but | had a
right in nature to have joined you in ordering
this head stone, had | not?' During these
words the stone was sinking into the earth, and
many persons who Were on their way from the
grave, returned. For a while the elder brother
said nothing, for he had a consciousness in his
heart that he ought to have consulted his faith
er's son in designating this last mark of affec-
ton and respect to his memory: so the stone
was planted in silence, and now stood erect,
decently and simple, among the other ostenta-
tious memorials of the humble dead.
The inscription merely gave the name and
age of the deceased, and told that the stone had
bee erected by his 'affectionate sons" The
sight of these words seemed to soften the angry
man, and he said somewhat more mildly: eyes,
| we are his affectionate sons, and since my name
is on the stone, l am satisfied, brother. We
have not drawn together kindly of late years
and perhaps never may, but | acknowledge and
respect your worth, and here, before our own
friends, and before the friends of our father
with my foot above his head. | express m
willingness to be on better and other terms,
with you, and if we cannot command our hearts
let us at least bar out all unkindness.'
The minister, who attended the funeral, anG
had something entrusted to him to say p~ublicaly
before he left the church yard. now came for
ward, and asked the elder brother why he spakt
not regarding this matter. He saw there was
something of a cold and sullen pride rising w
in his heart, but not easily may any man hope
to dismiss from the chamber of his heart ever
the vilest guest, if once cherished there. Will
a solemn and almost severe air, he looked
upon the ~relenting man, and then, changing
his countenance into serenity, said gently
Behold how good a thingi it is,
And how becoming well,
Together such as brethren are
In unity to dwell.
TIE time, the place, and this beautiful ex
preston ola natural sentiment, quite overcamt
a heart in which many kind, if not warm af
f~ections dwell; and the man thus appealed to
bowed down his head and wept.
"Give me your hand, brother" and it wa:
given; whilea murmer Dissatisfaction arose from
all present, and all hearts felt kindlier and more
humanely towards each other.
As the brothers stood fervently but compos
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