The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1880-01-29
The Brothers Reconciliation.
An Interesting Story Of Domestic
Life, with a Moral.
BY ELIZABETH CAMPBELL.

say those words" and Ephrain
Manford turned on his brother {
face so white and stony, it seemed
to have been stricken into marble
only the deep, dark eyes glowed like
living Goals. Ard Seth turned
away with a shudder, but said, soft
ly, and in gentle, loving tones:
al pray Heaven you may think
better of those words, Ephraim."
But Ephraim turned on him g
flaming glance that literally seemed
to scorch his gentler brother as il
fell on him; and through his clench
ed teeth he muttered the one word
"Neverp
And SO the brothers parted, and
each went his way; and though they
lived but a few miles distant from
each other, no word of any kind was
spoken between them for seven
long years.
Seth's offense had been this: The
girl whom Ephraim had loved, and
to whom he had introduced his
brother, had preferred Seth, and
married him. There had been nc
duplieity on the part of Seth, or on
the part of Ruth Glover, either;
Ephraim had not told his brother
that he loved the girl-he had not
even told Ruth of his love for her
self. Yet when she had learned to
love Seth, and had promised to
marry him, he chose to consider him!
self deeply and foully wronged
And 1t was then that Seth, all un.
conscious until that moment of hav.
ing even unintentionslly wronged
his brother, begged him to say that
he forgave him; and Ephralm had
answered in the words quoted
above.
Every year, at thanksgiving time,
he had written a few affectionate
lines IT, his brother, begging him to
forget the past, and to come with
his wife and their lovely little boy
to eat his Thanksgiving dinner with
Seth and Ruth. For Ephraim had
married in less than a year after
Ruth's marriage with Seth; and he
loved his wife, too, SO well that in
his heart he had often regretted his
rash words and would have been
glad enough to forget the past and
let it go. But foolish pride in
never going back from his word
kept him aloof.
Once more, and for the seventh
time, Seth wrote his few gentle lines
begging Ephraim to come and eat
his Thanksgiving dinner with him !;
and as he signed his name, putting
just before it the words, always
affectionstely yours" Ruth came.
and, looking over his shoulder, read
the note.
"How good you are!" she said,
stopping to kiss her husband 5
brow. 81 don't know how you can
keep on doing it, Seth, and when
the obstinate old donkey never even
condescends to answer SO far as to
refuse. He never sent you single
line In reply. l think it is you who
have the right to forgive him, and
not hr who should forgive you--it
is no small thing to scorn the love
of such a brother as you are, Seth" +"
swell, perhaps, it is because 1
feel that he is far more wrong than
L that l am so anxious to make up
this breach between us; and if l
really have the most to overlook,
remember that weS should forgive
not only seven, but seventy and
seven times, Ruth, darling"
Ruth said no more, and so Seth s
note was sent as heretofore.
Ephraim was in a very bad tenn
per when Seth's note was put into
his hands. and the kindly, gentle
words, instead of quieting him,
seemed only to add fuel to the fire
of his angry irritation.
H snatched up pen and paper and
scrubbed off a sarcastic reply to
Seth's note; and as he sealed it up
in an envelope he muttered with
savage mockery: e -tr
There! l rather think that Will
put an end to his tender appeals
for reconciliation"
Then he picked up his hat and
called his pretty little son.
"Come, Eddie, come % he cried
out; don't you want to go for q
walk with meP" e t5 p
The child came bounding out
from some place in the garden where
he had been playing, and reached
his fathers side with a joyful shout
of laughter.
81 will give the note to Eddie
20 carry to Seth" thought Eph-
Ephraim; and, strange to say, GER
tain triumph IN the posses sion OF
this beautiful child, while his broth.
er, who so loved children, had none
rose up in this vengeful mans
heart-for the bitterness of rela.
tives estranged is something past
finding out.
Ephraim Manford, holding his
little son by the hand, walked on
towards Seth's farm; and as they
approached it some memories of old
days, stirred by the child's innocent
prattle, made the middle-aged man
feel ashamed of the bitter and re
vengeful thoughts in his heart; and
he felt more than half inclined &c
take back the bitter reply he had
already given to the child, and to
make no harsher answer TO his
brothers invitation to reconcilia
tion than the old hard silence. But
before his feelings had wrought any
decision in his intention, little Ed
die suddenly les go of his hand and
bounded forward with loud, glad
shout:
"There is a Uncle Seth now; un
Gle, uncle, wait for me. / have
something for you," and the child
light as fawn and feet as an an
telope, was already beyond reach o
his fathers voice before he haC
summoned up words to call hin
back.
Ephraim looked on ahead, and
saw his brother at some little dis
tance in the next field, with hi
head bent and walking slowly anC
sadly along. At the sound of littl,
Riddles loud. shrill cry. he stopped
and turned round and recognizing
the child, he retraced his steps