Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1883-10-18

his errand was identical with my own
Come what would no WOman's love should
divide us whom Heaven had made broth:
erS. I went up to him and laid my hand
upon his arm.
'"Come with me, brother," said; open
ing the library door. He followed me in
and stood silently before the fire. ] went
on: "I know what your errand was, broth.
er-mine was the same. 1t was impossible
I. But we are brothers still. No other tic
can sever that. Let us love each other,
whatever comes"
We are much alike, but think my broth
er has more fire in his nature than !. His
eyes kindled, and he answered with an ear
nestness that was almost savage
"Brother or not, no man has right to
force me to give up my love. | will have
her, if | can get her, in spite of all the
world"
$50 you shall. If she loves you, she shall
marry you. I know her well. No power
would force her, neither want, nor pride,
nor gratitude, to give her hand where she
did not love. 1 only meant to pray you to
let nothing separate us. However she may
decide, one at least of us will have bitter
think your hope is better than mine.
He would have hesitated then, but [
urged him forward. If he succeeded, she
would never know how my whole being
had poured out it's alteration for her; if he
failed could but try my fate also. He was
not there long. l was cool enough in the
midst of my suspense, to know that he had
been absent but few moments when he
opened the library door. His face was white
with repressed suffering. He came to me
and said hoarsely-
Brother, she does not love me. [ told
her you would come next. She said some
thing in answer. I did not hear what. 90
you in now"
found her weeping, but she reused her,
self at the sound of my foOtstep, and cried
passionately:
"Not you-not you also! Do not give me
the pain of thinking that l must wound my
best friend. Your brother said you were
coming, and told him it would be of no
use. You would not want we without my
love. Oh! wretched girl that am, to have
brought unhappiness to the roof that shell
tered me when was an orphan and alone!
found strength to answer her.
"Do not fear, dear Margaret. You have
brought us more good than evil. We are
men. We will conquer ourselves like men.
You will be our sister, when you can for
give us for the pain we have caused YOU"
went out to Abijah, who waited for me.
81 have failed ALSO" was all l could say.
His arms opened and clasped about me in
an embrace such as those with which we
had comforted each other in boyhood. l
had lost Margaret, but 1 had found again
my brother. I have nothing more to say
about the sufferings that followed. 1t is
| idle to dwell upon it. God sent it, and we
bore it manfully. and my brother.
The next day there came to us Il little
note from Margaret. 1t was such an one
as it was like her kindness and delicacy to
write. She had chosen that mode of conf
munication because she thought it would be
easier than to speak to us Of what so nearly
concerned her own heart. She wrote very
| tenderly, thanking us far more warmly
than we deserved for our kindness to her,
lonely orphan, praising us far beyond our
poor merits, and telling US it would have
been scarcely possible for girl whose heart
was free to have remained insensible to our
devotion for herself, but hers was not free.
Before she came to us it had passed from her
Keeping. She had loved and been loved by
the physician-a young man; poor but tai
ented-who had attended her mother in her
last Illness She had never known his love
for her until the day before she left OsWego.
Then he told her all, and though, because
he must be, for long time to come, too
poor to marry, he would not permit her to
bind herself by any engagement, she knew
that he looked upon her as his future wife.
She took great blame to herself, for not
having told us this at first. If there had
been Mrs. Smith she was sure she should
have contided all to her; but, as there was
no actual promise of marriage, she could not
bring herselfto speak of it to US, particularly
as she never supposed it possible that she
should possess any hold upon our hearts
save the generous sympathy which had
opened them to her. She had hoped in time
we should both be far happier than she
would have made either Of Us. She knew
us too well, alas to think we had loved her
with love to be ut once conquered; but
time and her absence, for she must leave us
now, would bring healing.
We read the letter together, and as we
finished my brother lookedup.
eve have much more than enough for
two solitary men let us make her happy
with part of it."
He had uttered the thought that was in
my heart also. He replied to Margarets
letter, for nature had made him more elo-
quent than I. He begged her to remain
with us, by entreaties that could not he re-
sisted; eXcupating her from the taintest
shadow of blame, and claimed her, in be-
half of US both, and for the sake of the ten
der love between our dead mother, for our
sister, henceforth.
In the meantime | wrote to DR.. Went
worth, at Oswego, informing him that cir
cumstances had induced my ward to con-
fide to me the relations existing between
them, and limiting that her doWry would be
sufficient to make their marriage prudent
ut any time. In conclusion, | begged leave
to offer him the advice of a man that had
seen more of life than himself, not to delay
his happiness too late.
1t ended as we had fOreseen and intended.
We persuaded Margaret to remain with us
until she was married and that was not long.
The dear child was very happy, though |
could see with what delicate tenderness she
strove to show us all her joy. We see her
often, and we alike think that she owes part
of her happiness to us. 1t is all the sWceter
that she does not know it.
We live alone again in the old house, with
the old servants. The paper on the walls,
the carpets on the floors, have grown dim,
and time has softened little the memory
of the sharpest wound our hearts ever receiv-
ed. We have given up all thoughts of love
and marriage. We shall live together till
death parts us; when that hour comes, and
they pull down the sign "Smith Brothers," ,"
there will be no one to take our place.
azzz..uz..aA
TAKING COMFORT IN LIFE.-S0onGr or
later, friends, the time for folded hands will
come to US all. Whether or not we cease
from hurry and worry now. we shall one