The age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1897-1902, 1898-05-01
BROTHERS..

From the Chicago News.
The patriarch sat on the stone porch.
An old cob pipe, the smoke oozing 1azly
from it's mouth, protruded from the re-
cesses of his white and bushy beard. His
eyes were fixed on the mountains five
miles away, over whose dark green sides
the black, sharp shadows of the clouds
were wandering. The old man was in a
pensive mood, so unusually pensive as to
awaken the curiosity of the storekeeper
who had been watching him sitting up
right on the bench, his gaze fastened on
the distant hills.
"What are you thinking OFF," the young
man asked.
sI was thinking of Hen Wheedle. I
hain't thot of him fer year. so sails to
myself today, sails, You otter think or
Hen Wheedle An set right down, an
a mighty good time I've had medytaun
over him."
The miller, who was seated on the 9TH
err end of the bench, laid down the country
naner and looked at the old man over the
top of his spectacles.
"Mighty souls!" he said "Why Hens
hen over the mountain nigh on to forty
years"
"That's Jest the pint" said the patri-
arch. 'sWhen folks is gone one otter think
on EN-"
To the old man there was nothing be-
yond the mountains but infinite space. 10
him the world was bounded by the range
of green hills before him and the range
back by the river The two sprang out OF
space at point some miles to the north,
went their own ways some fifteen miles
to the south, Joined and made the valley
and the world. To go over the mountain
70 him meant voluntary annihilation- He
stepped off into the blue beyond and be-
Tn a V-HV
wears of his life he had known men to
have come back again, but it was like ris-
ing from the dead.
sYou know Hen Wheedle?" he inquired
of his companions.
"He was afore my time, but I've heard
on him." the miller replied.
"IIen an me was like brothers." the
old man went on. The light in his pipe had
gone out. He applied sulphur match to
II and sneezed violently. HE done wrong
Int he's suffered innardly fer 1T, and eff
he ever comes back I'll put this right hand
IN his,n an say, Hen, you done wrong,
hut you've suffered innardly, and forgive
yeh.'"
No sulphurous fume was playing around
tha old man new, but he Sneezed again and
choked himself with piece or canton ham
neil that served him handkerchief.
"Hen an me was born an raised on
,ioinin, farms Hen an me was brothers
from the time we was big enough to gath
or eggs At school boy tibet licked me
had to lick both. A boy tibet was licked
nv one was licked by both. I tell you, We
was a pretty pair, we was so pretty tibet
MeIissy Flower couldn't pick atween US.
she was O girl! Mighty souls! I'd "a bin
clad to hev he'd her, an sod Hen; but then
the trouble come. didn't want her with
out Hen hevin' her, and Hen didn't want
her without me hevin' her; consistently
they was a hitch. The winter we was q
wears old we seen a good deal of the girl
at singin' school an spellin' bees. We used
TO go over to Flowers an sing duets to
Melissy's melodium playin.' 1t kept get
tim worse with both of us, till one night
we was comm from her house an got to
where the road dervided, one fork runnin'
TO our house an one to his'n. My. how
clear remember it!'
Hen, I sails, loolSin' right inter his
eves-it was moonlight. an could read
his very thots--Hen, 1t seems to me, Ike
you've been thinkin' moren usu'l of Melis-
sy lately
~ wus thinkin' the same ov you, sails
he. ~
you're right sails I: but don't want
to treat no body of mine mean
"'An' I'm thinkin' the same ez you.' sails
he.
I'VE wus quite q piece; then sails