The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-05-17
THE BROTHERS--A Sketch
By A. C. GARRIcus

For at least once in his life the Hon.
Jabez Eliot was In no hurry. The horse
hired from the stable at Hartford logged
along in an easy gait OF his own choosing.
The Judge took off his hat and looked about
him. It was day in early spring. a moist,
hazy. lazy day. In the bitches along the
road the frogs lifted up a tiny chorus. A
noisy crowd Of blackbirds clicked and chat
tered in the bushes and fed by relays at
his approach TO a safer place a little ways
ahead and chartered and scolded again and
seemed to try to obstruct his passage, as if
they might be protecting the rear of some
retreating army.
A meadow lark piped throaty roundelay
and ecstatic wing. A flock of
crows tapped leisurely along above him,
cawing derisively. High in the sky buzz
yard wheeled in great circles, keeping a
lone vigil over some unwept and unhonored
grave.
In the woods the cowslips and harebells
were in bloom. The blue bonnets OF the
violets nodded thick in the grass. Here
and there, like flock of scattered sheep,
shone the white f1eeces of the dogwood, and
the redbud Haunted a bit of color-a bou-
tonniere the sober coat of nature. The
brown road stretched ahead OF him in
succession OF gentle swells TO a bridge,
where a wandering creek embroidered its
course IN traceries Of delicate green will
lows.
The buggy rumbled across and climbed a
hill. from the brow Of which the judge
looked upon the old farm. Altered, i'm
proved, the old house moved back and
new one In front. a windmill tapping its
arms over the barn-but the old place still.
In the flash OF an eye Time struck the
shackles Of years from the man and he be-
came a boy again A joyous. laughing.
fitting butterfly OF boy.
Presently. with long-drawn sigh and
furtive dash OF the hand across his face,
he brushed away the misty cobwebs of the
past and became himself once more.
1t had been-hm, h'm-some twenty odd
years since he had left the old place.
Hiram. his brother, had remained. He was
there yet 1t was IL o'clock. The dinner
bell sounded and was answered by other
chimes, some far away. A dog bounded to-
ward the gate, barking furiously. A man
in shirt sleeves came down the walk.
squirting in the sun.
why, Lordy, Lordy, if it amt Jabe?" he
called out cheerily, quickening his pace and
holding out his hand in brotherly welcome.
Get right out, Jabe. Here, Ezra, come
and take your uncle's rigi How many ears
of corn do you want him to have? He amt
warm, Ezra; give him all the water he
wants.
'Come in. Jabe. come in Down, Lion!
Don't let him put his paws on you like
that. Looks like our old dog used to look,
don't he? That's the reason call him Lion.
'T reckon your folks is well, Jabe. You
a month or two and get somethin' good to
eat. Car'line, this is Jabe. Yes, of course
you'd a knowed him, anyhow. Don't
change a bit, does he? GIFTS younger, If
anything.
Lets see-seven from three-fve and
one to carry-why. you're forty-six come
this April an I'm fifty in July. Well, well,
1 can't realize it!
Now, you want TO wash, first thing. Al
lie. ill up the pitcher in the parlor bed
room. Oh, you'd jest as Iieve wash right
here 1 knOwed you would. There's some
hard soap. 1 doubt if you kin find clean
place on that towel. Give it another yank
There you are The boys is turrible hard
on towels. Just dash and wipe and a
don't care for nothing.
"Lecta, shoe that old hen out of the
kitchen. She's bound she's goin' to lay in
there She's little Mack's pet. He raised
her by hand, and she jest nachully i'm
AGNES she's away above common chickens.
81 expect it's leetle airly for your din
ner. amt it? Carline says it amt called
that in town. Lunch, 1 reckon it is, or
somethin' similar. 1t amt worthy of bein'
called dinner.
Last spring, when set on the fedral
grand jury, never got so tired Of anything
in my life. Why. I'm telling you the truth,
I nearly starved. 1 fell off five pounds in
two weeks. and when 1 got home 1 had
Almiry turn in and kill two chickens, and
we had lettuce and young inguns and
mashed potatoes. Corn bread and butter
milk and strawberry shortcake to top off
on Now, maybe you think 1 didn't eatl
mo, Stree no hotel Twin for me. All
them French names and such don't add no
spice to things. There's a queer kind of a
taste that oozes right through Makes a
fellow feel like he wanted to go out and
wipe his mouth on the grass like chicken.
"Of course, it was a good hotel 1 stopped
at One Of the best in town. a regular
dollar-a-day house. Jabe. you set here at
the head of the table. Boys, L presume you
all know your Uncle Jabez. This is Ezra,
my Oldest, this is George w. and the next
one is Harold Car'line named him out of a
book and he amt never growed out from
under it yet. This curly-headed chap is
little Mack. Car'lfne's boy. He stays here
most of the time, cause he gets to do just
what he pleases. Car'line says I'll spoil
him Well, 1 don't know; there's lots of
things BOY would never do If he wasn't
forbidden. Nothing like fencing in a
strawstack to make it attractive to cattle.
'Lecta, you and Allie wait on the table
and let your ma eat
There was subdued silence. The boys
folded their arms and ducked their heads.
The girls stood still and looked sedately at
the floor The father began to ask the
blessing In sudden burst OF sonorous
sound that sunk by degrees to a humble
and ended In a whisper. 'No. Jabez you
needn't serve the plates; we'll just pass
things. Lord, IL would be like running a
merry-go-round to keep all the plates flied.
By the time you got around once ii would
be all to do over again"
When the meal was over the boys went
back to the fields the girls TO the kitchen.
and Hiram put on his coat, took the prof
fe-ed cigar, and led the way to the sunny