The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1878-08-31
THE HOSTILE BROTHERS
ny Mrs. ST. SIMON.

called the " Kniebis," in village OF the
Schwartzwald, there stood small house
with stall and shed. This abode had but
three windows, which were provided in
part, with paper, instead Of glass; the shut
ter OF the garrett window lung but by a
single hinge, and seemed ready to fall ut
each moment. A small garden lay adjacent
to the dwelling, divided lengthwise into
two equal parts by hedge OF thorns.
This house was occupied by two broth
err, who had dwelt together for four.
teen years in inccssant hostility. Like the
garden, the whole house was divided, from
the garrett down to the little cellar; the
'tpp-tiOor was open, but below each had q
s,Mce partitiOned Off with laths; padlOcks
were fastened upon all the doors, Us il
tley stood in hourly fear Of burglars; the
stall belonged to the one, the shed to the
other brother; not word was heard in
the house, except when one or the other
muttcred an oath.
Michel and Conrad thus were the two
brothcrs callcd) were both well advanced
in wears, and both unmarried; Conrad had
early lost his wife, Michel had never mar
1
riGd.
nal cause OF their enmity.
After their mothers death, the property
was TO have been divided between them,
as their sister, who was married and lived
| In the village, had already received her
due share. Conrnd declared that he had
loucht the chest with his own money,
which he had earned by breaking stones
mon the Highway; that he had only lent
! Il 10 His mother, and that II belonged to
linn. Michel, on the other hand, main
tnined that his brother had always lived at
thome. eaten of his mothers bread, and
couId therefore call nothing his own pro-
perty. After vic lent personal alteration,
the matter came before the bnrgomasler,
and then before the court, and 1t was DC
cree! that, us the brothers could not ngireo,
all the furniture IN the house, including
| The chest, should be sold and the proceeds
bc divided between them. Indeed, the
house itself was offered for sale, but rs
no purchaser was found, the brothers were
obliged TO keepit.
THEY must now purchase their own
things, their beds, their tables, and SO FORTH
Mt auction; this caused Conrad many a
sieh for he was somewhat more sensitive
than IL usual among men in his class oil
liiic. There are, in every family, various
articles which stranger cannot obtain Tor
money; they are worth much moro than
hc is willing to pay for them, for thoughts
and remembranccs Clcave to them which
have no value for any butthe original pos
SCISSOR. IT,, .:,o,r,, ho
oueothed from generation to generation,
that their inward value may remain lnNio'
into: II one is obliged TO wrest them IRON
Tho hands of others, TO strive for them
with n stranger for money, large part OF
their original worth vanishcs; they are OBJ
taincd nj their market price, and not in
herited rs family relic. such were inc
thoughts which often caused Conrad to
shake his head as some old article OF illr-
niturc was struck of to him, and wilug tbe
Llack yelvet.colOred hymn-book OF his
mother, with its silver clasps and hinges,
was mt up for sale, and o pedIar weighed
the silver in his hand, In order to Judge oil
;is ynine the blood rushed to his face, and
hc bought the hymu.book at q high price.
At last Il came 10 the chest; Michel hem
med aloud, cast challenging glance upon
his brother, and at once oilerea co inaii
erable sum for it. Conrad, without LOOK IAc
ing up, bid quickly form more, anu ne ~.
counted the buttons upon lis s3aI, but
Michel glancing boldly around, bid higher ;
no one esc male an offer, AMI nelther Oh
the brothers would resign the chest 10 inc ~
other-cacl, thought to himself, = shail
only have TO pay for half OF II" ana mus
bid higher and higher, until at last .ne
chest was struck or for more than I'VE
times its value, for eight and twenty nor-
nj Tie ~ now. for tho first time, looked up,
and the expression OF his face was entirely
altered; scorn and mockery cleaned from
his staring eyes, his open mouth. and from
every feature Of his yisagc. when you
die | will give YOU the chest that they may
tlsy YOU in it, he said trembling with fury,
10 Michel; and these were the Inst wonls
whicl, he had spoken to him for fourteen
years. ,.,, ,..o,. orn.
rsement throughout thewlole village, and
when n ncighhor met Conrad, he would re,
mark how sha,ncfully Michel had treated
linn. and Conrad grew more ana moro eh'
rared against his brother.
In aidition 10 this, the two brother
were OF very different dispositions, ana
pursued different paths.
Conrad Ind mn OK which he worked in
the field with the OK OF Ills nCighbor Chris
i'm. nj other times he broke stones upon
Tho HIGHWAY for fifteen kreutzers day
liz waa ycrv near-sighted, his glit WIS ull'
sieoIv. ana when ho struck u light llc a.
WAYS held the finder close to his nose, III
order IN be cer,ain that it had caught iire
lie was callel through tho whole village
Wblind C0nradli." The Twas appended
to his name because he was short IN eta
ture. .a.i.f.s
Michel, on the other hand, was entire;
ly the revere Of this; he was tall aIo
thin, and walked with n firm step nc
went dressed as peasant, not because W
really was one, butbecause 1t was adNanu,
Icons TO him In his oecupatloni he traded
IN wit, in old horses, and the pprnhIs.or'
had lar more confidnuce when bargaining
with n man in the drcsse Countrymar
Michel llQd been blacksmith, anu l'GI
iailei in his business; lie in part sold, y
mart fnrmed out his land, turned his whole
attention 10 honc4lealing, and led as gay
and careless u lie a. possible, lie was con
siIered MI important pprAOnngp through
out the whole district; for SIX orplsll
leagues around, in Wurtcmburg, IN ~
Sigmarineen, and lIechingen, even M tnl
M baden, he was acquainted with the con
dition and complement Of tllC stables, ~
M n great statesman Is With the statistic
az foreign countries, and the position 81
their cabinets; and as tho latter learns tiit
Sisnosition OF the people IN tho npwspa
nsrs the former learned Il In tho tavpFns
IN every village, also, he had some yagran
rssidin. AS an accomplish, with whom liz
oiicn heIl secret meetings, and who, In al
emergency, sent Michel q courier, namely
h;mseif Tor which seryiNo he dc
manIci nothing moro than a gooss
TrinEeeldS in lie literal sense Of tho word
lie employed his secret agents, also, TO ~
duce people omako changes IN thSlrsiallss
md thus he almost always koptln lIissllol