The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1861-12-10
The Burnt Bank Notes.
A story OF scnrrrrow Hal.

When the stricken man revived, IL was t.
dwelling life. lis brain remained affected.
lie had los, all the m'mlry OF the fire. NLd hts
weakened in. elect still glimm rel about only |
ono idea. Fer Ion, umr, 'ho'e about him
could TO. make on what ne said, until at last,
when he WIS enabled 90 to't'r about with
crutch they FOND him In 'hc garden OF the cot
taer TO which ! l., brother h,d removed him.
irving to wrap a cl1 81, ahol' sct'orrow. Then
his brother hrcw what he bad been trying to
say. There he wa, Standing uy he tattcrei
ciity mutterirg "Pi'y,' Poor man, $50
cIdt" And miuv month. .h,n,v,r he Jaw on
of those stuffed bundle. f ,lic. in tho iieli,'
he would make MS WY to T., sometimes taking
of his own coat, and pI''iut 10 ON the thing
with broken sentences Of pity and dwelling
tears; for hiS brothers par Ing words hal sunk
into his heart aud nos Uu' OF iha broken wreck
of his thoughts hc had patched together TIL.
strange am nd, { = the cruelty and coyctousEcsS
ofh old life, Somethins s'll undestroyed in
the man hal risen NJ and asserted itself though
IL had been 80 long crimo,d AMI buried. The
miscr's hahit had pass,d away, hu' with II the
power 10 direct the better impulse which sur
vivcd.
This touching t.ndernoss with which he
sought fr an / clothed tho pres M objects Of his
compassion became generally known in that
neghlofhOOd. Some few were cruel enough IL
laugh at the Ncmcsi, which had fallen upon
him; and once or twice former victim of hil
avarice, whom he had nearly ruined by a law
suit-as cruel as former sclf--scnt him n bundle
OF rags in scorn, or led him 10 bcstow his char
ity on somc 'scirecrow in the windy fields,
and then distressed him hny0nI me sure by
beating II 20 pieces win q sick and leaving
him wrrging hi' hand, and crying over the
tattcrod fragments.
Meanwhile his brother grew sorcly p'rplcNsd.
The email sum which he hll ,ruu.,h' back with
HIM 10 England was nearly exhausted; and he
hi,td himself to a farmer ON an state hard by
for whom he served among the cattle, having
had much experience in their management in
The colony. He sd the plo. OF ground on which
his brother 5 house had stood, AMI the iltcres
OF this was all that the poor sufferer had for hi
support-nNt onou sh-ior a conf leIable shlt,
Of the brother earnings went tow lri' the sam
Object. The paralytic could not I've left alone,
and several shillings week were necessarily
spent on the wages OF an attendant. John Hold
fast would have returned 10 the colony, but ho
could not boar the thought of 10 Iving his broth
er behind; and il was apparently hopeless TO
think Of taking him with him. The medical
men said that the voyage would probably prove
fatal; 30 he remained, working, and hoping thit
some change would come.
At last il did cOmc-sloVlv, t. he sure--but
there were clear intervals OF sense which grad
uRlly Heightened and joined themselves to-
gether. The visits TO the fields in search OF
Poor as the temporary iiio' had called the
sensoltss eff ges grew sho and few, until some
times three or four months had passed away
without any reference to them.
But the fire and all about IL was sill a blank
in the memory Of Ralph. lie seemed to whkcn
10 an intelligent lite, hut II wtsa new on.
Nothing could surplss the affection which H.
showed 10 John, though he still forgot he was
his brother. The two mon nov worked tn.
gethsr-for strength OF limb came back with
strength Of brain-and John entertained good
hopes of their Icing able TO return together to
the colony. lie hearl well Of his property
there but thou h he mi yht have made some
money 10y parting with II, the prospect of IL.
providing competency Tor them both in their
old age, If II were lcli alo4o little longer, de-
layed the temptation 10 q sale.
At last il seemed as il some decision must III
made. The estate on which the brothers work
90 came into the market, and john received no
tice that his services In the buving and ssllinl
of cattle would I've required no longer. Iii
brother grew daily better in mind as well q
body, though he never referred to the ire, q
10 the loss Of his property and John was unw,ll
ing TO mention IT, lest the fabric OF his return
ing health should perhap, he suddenly and ire
irievably upset; nor did h. try to cxpl lin their
relationship. Once indeed, he approached tn,
subject, but Ralph who knew himself only b.,
that designation, having forgotten his surnam
became 80 agitated, as ii s,me terrible CHOIR
had been touched, that he stopped; and tn
next day Ralph told him that he had had hid
eous dream SO he waited and hoped. But nov
that his office was about 10 he taken away, h
proposed emigration, saying that he had mean
Of his own far away, which they two togethc
might improve and live upon 10 comfort. The
they made inquiries about ships; and John Calcu
lated how Ear the reunan. Of hi, money woul
go, adding the price of the land on which h
brothers house had stood. There was enoug
20 pay for th,iT passage, and enable them
garry out some things which would fetch go
return by their sale in the colony.
Everything was settled. The estate wi
which John had been connected, was already
the market, and the two made no secret
their intended voyage. No one knew that tn
were brothers, and the neighbOrs had too mu
pity for the parslytic or too much interest
their own affairs, to trouble Ralph with a
reference to his former character and life Thu
was long u sort Of mystery about him, which
PEELED as much curiosity as 1t provoked, ana
protected him. Only Mr.. Savage whom
had nearly ruined, ever meddled with Ralph
sending him bundles Of rags, as We have SCI
and sometimes leading him out into the ie
20 make sport Of his IDIOT ply. But n
that Ralph was a man again, or nearly
Sayaue lad left him alone for months.
was not un il they were on the pJlp. Of sail
that he saw him Hgain, and the oppor unity
80 tempting that he could not resist the or
indulgence Every hing was settled.
boxes were corded and Johns little capi
was safe in q pOCh" book, ready 10 purch
the articles which they proposed to sell in
colOi y-when 1t was stolen-lnd they ne
heard OF il again. Some thief broke into III
cottage, and caIritd il OFF in the dead Of
night John made every inquiry the pol
searched the Ieighho-hocd 10 vain. i '
gore. There was nothing 10 do but to write
The agents in Australia an by parting will
portioa Of his property, sc, the means to retr
there. 1t was a provoking Disappointing
and delay. The two bro'hers took lodgr
in the nearest market town, and John got sol
stray Jobs out OF the cattle fair which was he
there, which enabled them to pay their way
ter a fashion. Now, it 70 happened that \
Savage, who owed the old erudse agar
Ralph-though he bad now recovered from
Ioss occasioned by the lawsuit with him--liy
in the same place, and cruelty twitted him wi
his late misfortune. 50, often, while John
away at times, the glimpses of the past seem
TO return to the still recovering man. One ev,
ing, while the two were sitting together, kal
san: 81 can't help thinking there must be son
thing in what that man Savage N
about my having once received hi
sum Of money from him i can't tell b
Ii Il, hut VtrsnRs thoughts often CONS into