The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1868-11-20

Id 8axs to SHfsie, wi en- Oh iidren roam.
lHpullls taAe hem by thelarm l
And stey at home
Upon tho good pla q farm. z 81:
ssizTEz sf5FHERs.
sSdfyPHfp. d'fiyy5PISHf1p7t
She naads no iatincsion in. the
nifestatio of her regard between
: any brother and me. TO us both she
= was uniformly all that o young sister
could have BEEN; the Joy and bright
ness of our home and our lives.
Perhaps She came to me most fire.
quently for advice concerning her
affairs. which was but natural, as I
had taken them upon me at first.
A year passed away thus. She,
growing reconciled to her loss, and
blessing our home with her youth
md beauty. We, alasl I could not
shut my eyes to that now, we loving
her, loving her both of us desperate
ly, secretly, almost hopelessly. There
are flowers that blossom only once in
century, but fervid and tropical in
their late unfolding. Love was slow
and latein coming to our lives. but
now its sway was absolute. And yet
We were faithful brothers, still. I do
not think either of us dared to in
;dulge Q heart longing for success
overshadowed by such blackness of
.desolation as it must bring to the
= other.
Atlength / resolved to speak. She
could but refuse me. Better to know
at once that the flaming sword guard
ed forever against me the gate of my
1onged-for Eden. than to wait afar off
in such intolerable suspense. I
would try my fate. 1 went toward
her especial sitting-room. In the
passage Imet my brother, going also
in the same direction. In an instant
it flashed upon me that his errand
was identical with my own. Come
what would, no woman's love should
divide us whom Heaven had made
brothers. Iwent up to him and laid
my hand npon his arm.
,'s'Oome with me, brother" said;
opening the library door. He fol-
lowed me and stood silently before
the fire. went on: ssI know what
your errand was, brother-mine was
the same. It was impossible that we
should not both love her. g She was
the woman about whom we had been
dreaming all our lives. She came,
and we could but worship her, you
end L. But we are brothers still.
No other tie can sever that. Let us
love each other, whatever comes"
We are much alike, but I think nv
bsother has more fire in his nature
than HiB eyes kindled, and he
ansEsfsa with an earnestness which
wAe almost savage: q
nBfother or not, no man has a
right to force me to give up my love.
I will have her, if / can get her. in
spite pfall the world"
$50 You shall. If she loves you,
she shall marry you. I know her
we'll. No power would force her.
neither want, nor pride, nor graft
tude, to give her hand where she did
not love. only meant to pray You
to let nothing separate us. However
she may decide. one at least Of ns will
have bitter need of consolation. Go
yen first; 1 myself think your hope is
better than mine"
He would have hesitated then, but
1 urged him forward. If he succeed
ed, she would never know how nv
Wnole Delng had poured out its ado
ration before her; if he failed I could
but try my fate also. He was not
there long. 1 was cool enough in
the midst of my suspense, to know
shat he had been absent bnt few
niomentes when he opened the libra
~ door. His face was white with
represspG suffering. He came to me
and said. hoarsely:
Brother, she does not love mo.
1 told her you would come next.
She said something in answer. / did
mot hear what. Go yon in now"
1 found her weeping, but she
reused herself at the sound of nv
foot-step, and cried passionately:
''Not you-not you alsol Do not
give me the pain of thinking that I
mnst wound my best friend. Your