Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1885-12-25

The brothers were the best Of friends
They understood and sympathized With each
others likes, dislikcs and weaknesses. Only
once in their lives had they quarrcllcd, but
that quarrel had lasted for six years. They
shuddcr now as they look back upon that
time
1t was vulgar dispute, which is made
known To all the world and in which mutual
friends are expected TO take sides. 1t was
only the TalbertS themselves who knew that
II quarrel existed. TO outsiders they seemed
more absurdly polite to each other than be
fore
The cause of the quarrel was the interfer-
encc of one brother in the others affairs They
were peculiar men, and very tenacious of the
Englishman's duty of minding his own bust
moss. On n certain occasion one of them
fancod "A rather delicate matter as much his
own cuisines, as his brothers. He was mis-
taken. They did not use high words, because
such things were not in their line but each
brother was sadly firm. The upshot was that
for six years they only spoke when they met
in society.
At last old Talbert died. His successful
daughter had been dead a long time. The old
man left Lakewood House and its contents
TO his sons conformity. The rest of his fortune
he divided into three parts and left in this
proportion to each of his children or their
children, if any. Then the SONS met at Halle
wood House and considered what they should
do.
First of all, as was becoming, they made up
their differences Very little was said on
either side, but it was understood that cordial
relations were rc-establishcd. At which happy
conclusion each man reioiced greatly-the
six years separation had been terrible affair
and tacitly registered vow that for the
future his brothers affairs should be his own
distinct private property.
/ BY this time our friends had grown rather
weary of gadding about. Moreover it was
due to their position that some place should
be called their home For nearly twenty
years they had lived in the various capitals of
Europe, and they knew that they had con-
qucrcd society. Indeed, it is doubtful whether
any two men, not celebrities were better
known than Horace and Herbert Talbrrt SO
they resolved to settle down and begin house,
keeping on their own account.
They collected their art treasures, and be-
ing not traders, but still thorough men of
business, in order to save any question arising
III the remote future. mad" exact inventories
of their respective belongings down to the
uttormoSt. smallest and most cracked cup and
saucer. Then they combined their collections
and made Lakewood House curiously beau
tiful with paintings, china and bric-a-brac.
This done, they settled down into quiet do
nestle life, and kept their house MS mcthodi-
cally and carefully, and no doubt a great
deal better, than any two old women could
have done.
OF course with their cultivated tastes,
their general requirements, their cosmopolitan
experiences, and the many desirable friends
they were known to possess the Talberts
standing in Oalbury was undenable They
were n credit to the neighborhood, and
might, had they not been too good-hearted tc
dream of such preceding have snubbed
any one of the families of position without
dreading reprisals. If people laughed at
their womanish ways, etfeminate proceed
ings and domestic economies, they We're
nevertheless, always glad to entertain or tc
be entertained by the TalbertS. The latter
need not be wondered at. The little dinner,
at Lakewood House were the pink of culinary
cvilizatiOn-the disqualification of refined
gaStronomic intelligence