News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1884-09-04
THE DIVIDED HOUSE.
A FancifuI Story from the COust of New
Hampshire.

A letter from Rye Beach, N. H., says:
They are queer folks down here in New
mpshire-honest, but eccentric, and
one has to be among them but a
little while to obtain new glimpse OF
human nature. The other day I was
riding by an old house, and inquired
why half of it was painted white and
the other half red. The two colors met
at the middle of the front door, and gave
the house a most striking and unique
appearance.
"This is an old story" said Uncle
John. Gu that house four or five gen
eratlons were born, married, and died,
and, so far as we know, lived happily
enough. The last sole owner was a man
who had two children, both sons. They
grew up together on the old farm, and
were as affectionate and kindly disposed
as could be. For twenty years they
lived happily together, married, and
raised families, and worked the
farm, sharing the profits without word
of difference or doubt of each others
faith or honesty. The farm was in the
old mans name, and when he died he
left Will in which he said he would not
cause them sorrow or trouble by divid-
ing his property, but gave it to them
Jointly, and trusted that they would
spend the remainder of their lives as
they had spent their childhood and
manhood, sharing each others joys and
working the farm together.
"The place, therefore, and all the old
man possessed was left them in common,
with things to go on as had been for q
quarter of n century. But the Old man
was scarcely in his grave before the
elder of the brothers assumed patri-
archal air and took the fathers place at
the head Of the common table. This
would have been passed over and adj
mitted as the honor of seniority had not
the elder brother also assumed to direct
things on the farm and about the house
hold us the Old man had done.
"Thcn the row broke ont and it was
the most celebrated case in those parts
for many year. You know our people
look upon lawsuits as very disreputable.
Men have been turned out of the church
for hiring lawyers aud going into court.
Aud man who sues, or is sued, loses
his standing in the community. There
are disputes, of course, time and again,
but they are always settled by arbitra-
ton. One of the disputants selects a
friend, the other selects one also, and
the two arbitrators choose q third,
usually a man who is noted for his
honesty and impartiality. To this COM
mittee of neighbors differences are sub
mittei and by them settled, and for one
to refuse to abide by the result is even
worse than being party to a lawsuit.
The stigma of public condemnation is
forever upon him.
''The boys got into wrangle, and
neither would give up. They couldn't
agree about anything, and the conse-
quence was that the neighbors inter-
fered, and an arbitration was arranged.
But neither of them would accept the
arbitration. 1t was the first case of the
kind on record. Usually, at least one
party is satisfied with the decision, but
in this case neither would agree to it,
and the only way that estate could be
settled was by dividing everything in
halves and then letting the brothers
draw cuts for choice. 1t happened to
be double house, so that each could
have half, and the barn was divided in
the same way. A stone wall was built
through the middle of every field,
meadow, and pasture on the farm, and
it made queer work of them. OF course,
they couldn't cut the horses and cattle
in two, but drew cuts for the choice.
"The brothers lived along that way
for years, and are living so now. They
do not speak to each other, and while it
is mighty uncomfortable for both of
them, neither will sell out or move to
spite the other. Not long ago the old
house needed painting, and one of the
brothers put on new coat of white.
The other, just to be contrary, painted
his half red, and that is the reason it
looks so funny"