Year: 1874

c


courage to answer it while Eng was by.
However, on one occasion, after having
walked some six miles, and sat up till
nearly daylight, Eng dropped asleep
from sheer exhaustion, and the question
was asked and answered. The lovers
were married All acquainted with the
circumstances applaud the noble broth
er-in-law. His unwavering faithfulness
was the theme of every tongue. He had
stayed by them through their long and
arduous courtship, and, when at last
they were married, he lifted his hands
above their heads and said with impress
i've JUNCTION, BLESS ye, my children, |
will never desert ye !'' And he kept his
word. Magnanimity like this is all too
rare in this cold world.


By-and bye Eng fell in love with his
sister-in- law and married her, and since
that day they have lived together in ex-
ceeding sociability which is touching and
beautiful to behold, and is scathing
rebukc to our boasted civilization.


The sympathy existing between these
two brothers is so close and refined that
the feelings, the impulses, the emotions
of the one are instantly experienced by
the other. When one is sick the other
is sick, when one feels pain the other
feels it, when one is angered the others
temper takes fire. We have already seen
with what happy felicity they both fell
in love with the same girl. Now, Chang
is bitterly opposed to all forms of fintem-
perance, on principle but Eng is the
reverse-for, while these mems feelings
and emotions are so closely welded their
reasoning faculties are unfettered their
thoughts are free. Chang belongs to the
Good Templars. and is hard working
and enthusiastic supporter of all temper
ance reforms. But, to his bitter distress,
even now and then Eng gets drunk and
of course, that makes Chang drunk too.
This unfortunate thing has been great
sorrow to Chang, for it almost destroyed
his usefulness in his favorite field of eff
fort. As sure as he is to head great
temperance procession. Eng ranges along
side of him, prompt to the minute and
drunk as lord but no more dismally
and hopelessly drunk than his brother,
who has not tasted drop, and SO the
two begin to hoot and yell and throw
mud and bricks at the Good Templars,
and of course they break up the process
sion. 1t would be manifestly wrong to
punish Chang for what Eng does, and,
therefore, the Good Templars accepted
the untoward situation and suffer in ST.
lence and sorrow. They have officially
and deliberately examined into the mat
ter, and find Chang blameless. They
have taken the two brothers and filled
Chang full Of warm water and sugar and
Eng full of whiskey, and in twenty five
minutes it was not possible to tell which
was the drunker. Both were as drunk
as looms. and on hot whiskey punches,
by the smell of their breath. Yet all
the while Chang's moral principles were
unsullied, his conscience clear; and sc
all just men were forced to confess thai
he was not morally, but only physically
drunk. By every right and by every
moral evidence the man was strictly so
Der, and therefore it caused his friend:
all the more anguish to see him shak,
hands with the pump and try to wino
his watch with the night-key.


There is a moral in these solemn warn


ings, or at least warning in these sol


emn morals. one or the other. No mat


ter, it is somehow sI.et us keep it lie


US profit by it.


I could say more of an instructive ma
: ture about these interesting beings, bu


let what | have written suffice.


Having forgotten to mention it soon


er, will remark, in conclusion, that tn
ages of the Siamese twins are respectful
ly ffty-one and ifty-three years.