Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, IA [i.e. Ind.]) 1839-1854, 1848-01-26

may prevent them from being shown; and
these two brothers stood there together,
determined not to let each other know
the mutual tenderness that in spite ofthem
was gushing up ia their hearts, and teach
ing them t,eu ncontcssed folly and wick
cdness Of their causcless quarrel.
\ head stone had been prepared. and
person came forward to plant it plain
stone. with sand glass, scuil and cross
bones, chisscled, not rudelv, and u few
words inscribed. The younger brother
regarded the operation with d troubled
eye, and said. loudly enough TO be heard
by several Of the bvstanders-''N lllam.
this is not kind in you-you should have
told me of this | loved my father as well
as YOU could have loved him. You were
the elder. and it may be, the favorte son;
but had right in nature to have joined
YOU in ordering this head stone, had not.'
I During these words the stone was sinking
INTO the earth, and many persons who
were on their way from the grave, return
cd For while the elder brother said
nothing. for he had a consciousness IN his
heart that he ought to have consulted his
fathers son in designating this last mark
Of affection and respect to his memory:
so the stone was planted in silence. and
now stood erect, decently and simple, a
mong the other ostcntatious memorials of
the humble dead.
The inscription merely gave the name
and age Of the deceased, and told that the
stone had been erected by his '.ailecti IN
ate sons" The SIGHT ofthcsc words seem
ed to soften the angry man. aud he said
somewhat more mildly: ..Yes, we are
his aifcctonatc sons, and since my name
is on the stone, 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 a
bovc his head, | express my willingness
/ to be on better and other terms with YOU,
and if we cannot command our hearts,
Let us at least bar out all unkindncss.'
The minister, who attended the funeral,
and had something entrusted to him to
say publicly before he left the church yard.
now came forward, and asked the elder
brother why he spakc not regarding this
matter. lie saw that there was something
Of Il cold and sullcn pride rising up in his
heart, but not easily may any man hope
10 dismiss from the chamber of his heart
even the vilcst guest, if once cherished
there. Will. a solemn and almost severe
air. he looked upon the relenting man, and
then changing his couutcnance into scre-
nifty, said gently
Behold how good thing it is,
AND how becoming we'll,
In unity 10 dwell.
The time. the place. and this beautiful
expression of natural sentiment. quite
o.ercalnc a heart in which many kind. If
not warm affections dwclt; and the man
thus appealed to, bowed down his head
and wcpt
Give me Your hand, broihcr, and it
was given, while murnur Of satisfaction
arose from all present. and all hearts felt
kindlicr and more humancly towards each
other.
As the brothers stood fcrvcntly but NJ
poscdly. graspng each others hands, in
the little hollow that lay between the grave
of their mother. long since dead. and Of
the father. whose shroud was haplv not
vet still from the fall Of dust to dust. the
minister stood beside them with pleasant
countcnance. and said-'.l must fulfil the
I promise made 70 your father on his death
! bed. must read to YOU a few words
which his hand wrote at an hour when his
tongue denied lis office. mllstnot say that
YOU did Your duty to Your old father. for did
he not often bcsecch YOU. apart from one
another. tor Your own sallcs as Christians.
for the sake of the mother who bare YOU.
and Stephen. who died that YOU might be
born! When the palsy struck him the
last time. You were both abscnt-nor was
it Your fault that YOU were not beside the
I old man when he died. As long as sense
continued with him here. did he think of
YOU, and YOU two alone. Tears were in
his eyes; saw them there: and on his
his check. too. when no breath came from
his lips. But of this no more. He died with
this paper in his hand. he made me know
that was 10 read it TO you over his grave.
| now obey him:
my Sons-it YOU will let my bones
lie quiet in the grave. near the dust of Your
mother. depart not from my burial. till. in
the name of God & Christ, YOU promise
+ 10 love one another as YOU used to do
Dear bows. receive my blessing
I Some turned their heads away to hide
the tears that needed not to be hidden
and. when the brothers had released each
other from Il long and sobbinc embrace.
many went up TO them. and in single
word two expressed their JOY at this per-
iect reconcilemcnt. The brothers them
selves walked away from the church yard.
with the minister 10 the Mansc. On the
following Sabbath, they were seen sitting.
with their families. in the same pew. and
il was observed tina, they read out Of the
same Bible. when the minister gave out
the text: anal that they sang together. ia
king hold of the same psalm book The
same psalm was sung. (givcn out at their
requeSt.) of which one verse had been re-
pea,ed at their fathers grave: a larger sum
than usual was on that Sabbath found on
the plate for the poor. for Love and Chair
" are sisters. And ever after. both du-
ring the peace and troubles Of this life. the
hearts of the brothers were as one and in
nothing were they divided.