Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1896-05-20
HUGH'S HOME COMING

NY brother Hugh and were twins
md loved each ether with fervor that
trow i'll intensity as we advanced in
fears. Perhaps the peculiar affection
,,hich is said to exist between twins
vas strong in us.
Our home, little cottage Of rough
Ecwn stone, was situated in one Of the
wild but beautiful wales that lie north
If Bala.
We played together, Hugh and I,
climbed the rocky hills together, boated
OIL the tiny lakelet together and, when
we were old enough. tramped over the
hills to school together. We were in
gepG,rable The dangers of one were the
dangers Of the other; his sorrows were
mine, and my joys were his. So our
lives passed i'll simple, childlike happi-
hess until we We're Is, when thing
happened that strained the strength even
Of our love to its very uttermost tension.
Wewould either Of Us have willingly
and cheerfully died for her-the girl we
loved. But we would also, if there had
been need, as cheerfully and willingly
died for each other. ~
Many times we walked together to
her home at Bala and pulled across the
lake. Sometimes Hugh rowed, and she
and I sat side by side i'll the stern and
steered the little boat Sometimes the
position was reversed, and pulled while
he sat by Jennie's side and held the
rudder lines. But it could not go Oh so
always. We knew that she could not
make us both happy, though, SO far, as
we thought it over, she had shown no
preference for either, unless, as I some
times fancied, her eyes rested longer and
with different expression on me than on
| him. Yet it must come to an end, and
so one gloriously bright summer day we
| strolled arm i'll arm up the mountain
side and sat down at the turn of the
footpath, from whence we could see the
white cottage and the beautiful lake be-
| hind it.
1t was there she lived, and oh, for
long did we gaze lovingly. with full,
| tremulous hearts, at the dear place. That
scene; the lake, its wavelets dancing
and sparkling like diamonds in the sun
light, the great mountains which en-
circled it as with a rampart-nay, rather
| as gem is encirclcd by the metal which
protects it-and the cottage, with it's
clinging ivy and jasmine and scented
| honeysucklc the far roses, which She
F! fairer even than tley-had tended. How
| it spoke to us that day! Yet it was not
/ Of sparkling lake, nor Of swelling hills,
| nor even Ct the embowered cottage that
we thought, but of what we knew was
| in that cOttage-to us the center Of the
| whole scene, the jewel in its casket.
"Jim,' at last said my brother, and
| his voice sounded far away, SO faint was
| it and choked with emotion, "Jim, we
l cannot always be together. She must
choose one Of us. Promise me that
! whichever CT us she takes, you CT me
and we will take 10 unfair advantage
one over tho other-pro,nise me that
| you will still be friend and brother, and
| that nothing in the world shall come be-
tween u.s. :"
I dared not trust myself to speak, but
grasped tight the hard, rough hand he
held out to me. Then, each with one
| long look into the others face, to see
perchance the honoring trustful love
mirrored there silently, with a forebod
ing Of q great sorrow, we went down
| the mountain arm in arm, as we had
gone up. And SO for the future we never
went to sec her together, but took our
little, simple presents on different days,
and never did either return without the
other meeting him Oh the way to see by
| his face whether it had ended.
But there was nothing unfair, moth !
| ing below board We could always look !
one another straight i'll the face, give
the honest grip Of the hand and walk
home together as we had always done.
Jennie soon showed that she cared for
me most, yet I am sure she shed many
tears that she should need to pain him,
| for / know she was aware that my
| brother loved her as well and tr1lly as |.
| However that be, one bright day, the
brightest and most glorious i'll all that
| glorious summer, I told her all my
thoughts and asked her to be mine-to |
live with me always. could not help
| it. Something within me, Of which I
had no control, seemed to be speaking
| from my mouth, as though all my pow |
er and will had been taken from me and
given to that strange, throbbing soul
within.
But, though my heart thrilled with
intensest joy when I folded my arms
round her, and she lifted up her face in
love and trust, and kissed her, even
then thought of Hugh and felt like a
mean coward, a sneaking, underhand
1 supplanter, as though l were taking a
cruel advantage over him. So when l
went home my joy was tempered with a
feeling almost Of shame For the first |
time in my life was unwilling to meet |
him, for the first time unable to look |
him III the face, and as saw his figure
i'll the purple distance felt that would |
do anything to avoid the eager scrutiny |
of his eyes.
1t was as L feared, for even as he
came toward me with his arm outstretch-
ed he saw how it was and stopped, still
mechanically holding out his hand to
greet me. The while great sorrow |
swept over his face, he tried to smile |
and wish me joy. I took him by the |
hand and led him into the ash wood |
where the shadows lay deepest, and with
much stammering and hesitation told |
him all. Mover shall I forget the deadly |
pallor, the look of agony that seemed to
have frozen on his handsome sunburned |
face. saw the tears fill his eyes and |
his broad chest heave with his strong,
manly emotions and longed to comfort |
him. At last, i'll q low, trembling voice,
he said, "God bless thee, lad-and Jen-
ale too" And then, with his hands !
clinched and his head low down, he
staggered slowly away. And I sat there |
feeling that would rather a thousand |
times have died than have caused him |
that cruel pain
Once only did I see him after that,
for when at last mustered courage to |
go home they told me how he had gone
in and kissed them one by one with
tremulous lips, and while they were !
wondering fearfully why he was SO pale
had gone out and had not come back.
| knew.
Three years passed aWay-three wears |