The daily intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Territory [i.e. Wash.]) 1876-1881, 1879-06-26
DAILY INTELLIGENCER.
Thursday, June %, 1879.
BROTHEisg1 LOVE.

A curious and touching incident has
been recently brought to Ugh. by the
Reputljeota IL ConstIHfias. 4 short
time ago, the criminal court -. Con-
stantine condemned two natives, broth
ers. one to the pain OF death, the other
to the gslleys. No sooner vas the
judgment pronounced than the third
brother, the only one remaining in free
dom, went and found the counsel for
the defense. weeping bitterly and
hardly. able to explain himself from
emotion. Endeavoring to calm him
the lawyer said:
''All is not yet lost; the only object
of the crime was vengeance. and II is to
be hoped that the head of the state will
grant pardon to your brother who is
condemned TO death"
The poor fellow, somewhat treasured,
then declared that as soon as all was
decided he had made up his mind TO
accompany his two brothers to Cayenne
presuming q remission was granted the
first, and in any case not TO leave the
second.
81 am going back now" said he, "to
my douar to sell my share, and if the
money l get for it is not enough, will
work night and day tolmake up enough.
Whatever may happen, cannot live
without them"
"But are you not married - asked
the lawyer.
Eyes, since three years
"Have you no children .
II have boy and girl"
"And what will you do with your
wife and children"
II shall send away my wife and in
trust my children to the care of my
relatives on the d0uar"
"What, are you not ashamed of
leaving your cbildrenY Do you love
your brothers better than your own
blood and fesh?'
81 am young" replied the Arab,
"and later on may take another wife,
and have other children, but who can
give me back my brothers My father
and mother arc both dead. No, never.
never will stay here without them"
This anecdote recalls to us q similar
episode in antiquity. Alexander the
Great having taken prisoners the chief
family of tribe Of Syria, decided to
put away ali except the women Ced-
ing, however, to the prayers Of one of
these. he granted her the life of one of
her family. When the princess asked
for the life of her brother, Alexander
could not suppress movement of sur
prise.
what! r cried he, "you love your
brother better than your husband. or
even than your own son !"
81 cannot deny that love my hus-
band, and would willingly lay down
my life for my son, but since one only
can be saved, remember that am still
young and may love another husband
and other children, but no one can give
mo back my brother, since my father
and mother are dead"
Neither is the occurrence srecial to
Algeria. Machiavelli. narrates that
in the middle ages an Italian woman,
whose brother. was defending q besiegcd
city, was summoned 10 give him up.
They had taken her children from her
and told her they would be murdered
unless she persuaded her brother to
capitulatc. Nothing daunted, the Ital-
ian lady replied, placing her hand on
her bosom
"Do as you will; my bosom will
bear other children TO me, but l will
not betray my brother"
These different narratives are identi.
cal in character, and serve to prove how
history repeats itself, after intervals of
centuries.