The Two Brothers- Maxie (VA) 1914 Davis E
[From Davis Traditional Ballads of Virginia; 1929. Davis's notes follow,
R. Matteson 2012, 2014]
TRADITIONAL BALLADS OF VIRGINIA
11. THE TWA BROTHERS (Child No. 49)
This is one of the very few ballads of which American texts were known to Child, included in the body of his work, and actually commented upon in his head-note. " It is interesting," he says, "to find the ballad still in the mouths of children in American cities, --in the mouths of the poorest, whose heritage these old things are. The American versions, though greatly damaged preserve the names John and William, which all the other copies have." And in a foot-note he quotes W. W. Newell, who obtained the American version[s] to this effect: "I have heard it sung at a picnic by a whole carful of little girls. The melody is pretty. These children were of the poorest class."
The Virginia singers seem to have no distinctive title for " The Two Brothers." The bulk of the Virginia versions differ from the bulk of the Child versions in that only two of the Virginia texts out of a total of eleven leave even the possibility that the fratricide was accidental. Of the other nine, some leave the stabbing as an outburst of passion, some indicate that the two brothers were in love with the same girl and that jealousy was therefore the motive. This essential point, and others, connect the bulk of the Virginia texts with Child B. The other two may be related to A in this respect, otherwise, especially verbally, to B.
In all of the Virginia texts the age of the "little boys" is incompatible with the rest of the story, the love affair in particular. Several variants, like Child B and C, conclude the ballad with several stanzas taken from "Sweet William's Ghost" (Child; No. 77), but none follows Child D, E, F, G, in supplementing the story with more or less of the ballad of "Edward" (Child, No. 13). As Child C differs in several essential points (accidental killing, the mother's parting anger at the younger son, etc.), we are led back to Child A and B, especially B, for our closest relationship.
The brothers, when not simply older and younger, are John and William, as in Child. The girl, when not merely a truelove or little sweetie, is Susie, not Margaret as in Child B.
E. "The Two Brothers." Collected by Miss Juliet Fauntleroy. Sung by Mr. Dan Maxie, of Altavista, Va., Franklin County; with music. "Mr. and Mrs. Dan Maxie were originally from Franklin County, and only moved to Altavista two months ago. They are good plain people of very little education. Mr. Maxie had learned his songs chiefly from an aunt who had such a sweet voice that the neighbors often used to come in just to hear her sing. He said they all used to sing a great deal at their 'sociables,' and parties, and that he was a great singer himself." ( Miss Fauntleroy)
1. There were two brothers walked out one day.
To view the chestnut grove.
The oldest one drew a long pen-knife
And stove it in the youngest one's heart.
2 "Dear brother, dear brother, pull off your coat,
And bind my bleeding wound.
Bind it up so neat and nice
And it will not bleed any more.
3 "Dear brother, dear brother, when you go home
My mama will ask for me;
You may tell her I'm gone to London town
To view the chestnut grove.
4. "Dear brother, dear brother, when you go home
My papa may ask for me;
You may tell him I'm with the little school-mates
To bear the sad company home.
5. "Dear brother, dear brother, when you go home
Little Sweetie will ask for me;
You may tell her I'm dead and in the clay cold ground,
Whose face she will no more see.
6. "Dear brother, dear brother, go dig my grave,
Go dig it both wide and deep;
lay my bible under my head.
My Testament under my feet,
My sword and pistol lay by my side,
As I was sound asleep.
7. "Little Sweetie, she will mourn,
Little Sweetie, she will cry.
Little Sweetie, she once loved me;
But now I'm dead in the cold clay ground,
Whose face she will no more see."