River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1879-08-14
BROTHERLY LOVE.
Remarkable Instance of Ovcrpowering Fila
Affection.


A curious and touching incident has
been recently brought to light by the Re
publican de Constantine. 4 short time
ago the criminal court at Constantine
condemned two natives, brothers, one to
the pain of death, the other to the galleys
No sooner was the judgement pronounced
than the third brother, the only one re.
naming IN freedom. went and found the
counsel for defense, weeping bitterly
and hardly able to explain himself from
emotion. Endeavoring to calm him the
lawyer said:
"AlI Is not yet lost, the only object OF
crime was vengeance, and it is to be hoped
that the head of the state will grant a
pardon to your brother who is condemned
to DEATH
The poor fellow, somewhat treasured,
/ en- declared that as soon as all was de-
cided he had made up his mind to accom-
pany his two brothers to Cayenne, pre-
Stunning a remission was granted to the
first, and in any case not to leave the sec
! ond.
II am going back now" said he, "to
my douar to sell my share, and if the mon
ey ! get for it is not enough, will work
night and day TO mae up enough
Whatever may happen, cannot live with
out them.'
but you are not married!" asked the
lawyer.
| Eyes, since three years.
"Have you no children
| II have boy and a girl
"And what will you do with your wife
and children?
Il shall send my wife away and entrusi
my children to the care of my relatives
on the dOuar."
"What, are you not ashamed of leay-
ing your children? Do you then love
| your brothers better than your own blood
and flesh"
II am young replied the Arab, ''and
later on | may take another wife, and
have other children, but who can give me
back my brothersg My father and moth
er are dead. No. never, never Will stay
here without Them
This anecdote recalls to me a similar
episode IN antiquity. Alexander the Great
having taken prisoners the chief family
a tribe of Syria, decided to put away all
but the woman. Cedlng, hos ever, to thr
prayers OI one vi tIieSt, III SIdilttu neI
the life of one of her family. When the
princess asked for the life Of her brother,
Alexander could not suppress a move
| ment Of surprise.
What cried he, ''you love your brother
better than your husband, or even than
your own son:
II cannot deny that love my husband,
and would 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,
hut no one can give me back my brother
since my mother and father are dead
Neither is the occurrence special to Al
geria. Machirvelli narrates that in the
middle ages an italian woman, WI Csc
brother was defending besieged city,
was summoned to give him up. They
had taken her children from her, and
told her that they would be murdered
unless she persuaded her brother to cap.
ituate Nothing daunted. the Italian
lady replied, placing her hand on her bo
som: "Do as you will my bosom will bear
other children to me, but will not be-
tray my brother"
These different narratives arc identical
in character, and serve to prove how his
tory repeats itself after intervals of centu-
rieS