St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1873-06-27
That Troublesome Ben.

+ ildI nut he had great honest grey
eyes. and Il frank. open look. that won
my heart when / first saw him.
| Boys We're always favOljteS of mine.
! partly because have 50 much svmpa-
thy for them, thinking them a persccu-
/ ted race.
Poor Ben, he WAS an awkward lad.
whose uncOuth ways and hlunders
shocked his sisters delicate senSihiIi-
ties every hour in the day. His mother.
one "i those good. unpleasant women.
whose nerves are hahitualiN "unstrmg.
| greeted his entrance every dtN from
school with Il sigh. expressive of de
Ip"mdent resignation. A> for his father.
he WIS really Il kind. grnrruus-hcaltcd
man. hut too hasty and impulSivc to
he a judicious parent.
Between them al. Ben had Il hard
/ time OF il. The rough. laundering lad.
had Il warm heart of his own. aud q
nature acut"ll sensitive To all mkiud-
ness. His family would have laughed
/ t" hear the word ..scnSitivc" applied To
Ben. In their eyes he WIS merely Il
g""d-naturcd animal. whose thick skin
was prov okin@ly proof against THEN
Sharpcst pointed words.
Ten minutes Late" said Mr.. Wilkic.
As Ben entered the dining room one
/ bright June morning. "Whut do YOU
mean lay this. sir! Next time it hap
/ pens. you'll Z" without your breakfast
am always prompt at meals. and |
mean my children shall be
Ben seated himself in silence. The
/ painful consciousness of three long >rm,
moi Vet worked out" weighed down
his spirits. II Flora. that clever little
alithmrtician. had only given him =
few minutes assistance, But She Wa
very 'rnHtIary" last night. aud had
tt""!,d him instead to :. linc lecture ON
>ci-Ic.iamcc. Ben lost his temper at
length. and WaS sent To bed ~ pun
. i>hncnt. with His lesson half-lcalmcd.
II" was 10y ii" means It brilliant >ch"lar.
and had been unable to make up for
los lin" this morning.
"hcu. N"u amt brushed your ham
tins morning, said his mother. mouth
fully. after Il pause.
"And just see what enormous mouth
lul> he takes - said Mrs Wilkir. >hall.-
lN. "Brn. }0ur manners would disgrace
an iIi>h cabin -
Let the boy alone - said the father
dcoid"dIy. ''Dom't lac picking AT him
all rhc time.
This unexpected sympathy upset
Ben quicker than an hours ~ruldug
would have done. He ro>, hastily. st
h">tH! thd, hr hnu,krd U,Cl Il giJ>>
with his sleeve. Th:ir was Sharp
"la>h. Il distressed c.iaculation from Mrs
Niikic. aud Il choru> of exclamation
trr'u the rest.
~ il ON" of the best gohlctS. Augr'~-
t. ," a-ncd Mis-. Wilkjr. raintlv. hrl
ewes half clo,rd. a> if .I,. y,uIild .hui
olt the painful trutb
"Nc.." said \uru,t,. >m,rtIy. ..th,
third one he's broken mi, vccl, real
II ;hiuk mamma. that Ben
But the mIhaprN Ben had c>capcd
and WIS h, this fine we'll ON his va,
rn >,hpol. He Ualkrd fast. hru,Lii. ,
>umetliI,., inlpari.utly from hi, eve. 81,
he went WLat VA, th,. i,.r ,t ,.r, IN,
like ii ~noonv! He had IN. remedy IN
his onn hands. and was resolved to Us,
"Wcu. Ben. | hone you'rr satisfied =
said Aur;-fa. meeting thr bo, an hi.
return. iirir', ,niI. fr,rbrr Lr,u here.
.i> in. au ;i2flI lrn,rt of ,nu Say.
Tnu,r, The or.,rr,. dun,r in the s,I,nni
and - suIl,1 =,
..R,u. come L.r,.,' c,iIcI III. f,,b.,
,tc,ul,.
storm, half-L,,,i f,jlnvcj Storm,
at least. on Nr, WilEir's u,,I. fnI r.,
va. ,iI,ut and SlIl,n. Dismissed e.,
la,t i. Gi,n1arr to his own ruom l.,
walked ~loVIl mn ,t,ns. u.,u>i,.,, nm il,
+. ,i:ut b, his r,otLcI', door H., Lc,i
tatcd - moment. thcu walked .InvI,
in.