Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1881-05-18
JGor Mf ponna.
SOnfEDAY.


ben Butler"
Ben Butler was a boy Of about fifteen
years. lie had brown hair and brown eyes
brown face, and very brown hands. lie |
had, also red lips, and very white teeth and |
deep gray-blue eyes, shaded with long eye
lashes of such dark brown that they looked |
black. Then he was dressed in brown |
coat and pants, and Derby hat.
In fact, don't see why the boys didn't |
call him Ben Brown instead of Ben Butler, |
which wasn't really any more his name than |
the other. His name was Benjamin Butts, |
til one day when an election fever ran high |
in the village, one of the boys, who slut |
tered, threw up his hat and shouted:
4" IIurrah for Ben But-t-t-lerl"
IL happened that our Ben was Just entering
the school-yard at that moment, and as the
sufferer, in his distress, faced about that
way, it looked as if 1t was meant for him.
The boys took it up and ever after that
he was Ben Butler except when boy
felt specially impish, then he was Ben
But--t-t-ler."
However, Ben didn't mind. He always
answered to either name. You couldn't
fancy Ben ever being cross, though there
was plenty of firmness indicated in the set
of his lips, and that square jaw must mean
character of some kind.
Out in Maple grove, about mile from the
school-house was a pond or small lake, to
which the boys went in winter to skate. 1t
had been freezing for two or three days and
the boys were eagerly discussing the firm
ness of the ice, as they stood grouped in the
school-yard. They were counting on moon.
light skating when the ice was hard enough.
Most of them thought it was now, but Ben
didn't.
NO. boys" he said, standing there before
them all with his hands in his pockets, "no,
won't go tonight. Farmer Benson says it
isn't firm yet, and he knows. Just wait
day or two longer, and then I'll be with
you"
"Daren't go skating till it's as hard as
road Coward !" said one boy 10 another
Ben heard, and for moment flush came
to his cheek, then died down, as he remem-
bered seeing that boy beating little fellow
half his age. Ben had put stop to that.
That was one of the few times the boys had
seen his eyes flash.
But he didn't answer him directly, only
turned to the others and said
"The ice may be safe, but | don't think
we have a right to risk it Just yet, nor to
make our mothers and sisters anxious for
us. 1t will only be few days to wait, and
| hope you won't go. There is nothing
brave about going into unnecessary danger,
nor in causing anxiety to others, and | won't
do it."
He turned away for home, but as he left
the school-yard he heard again that word
Coward" He turned his head, and, look
ing back, saw a crowd gathered around Tom
Converse, and for an instant he hesitated as
to whether he should turn back and try
again to persuade them not to venture on
the pond that night. Then, as he saw some
of the better class of boys leaving and COM
ing after him, he thought it would come
| out all right.
But that night Ben was restless over his
lessons. His thoughts wouldn't "stick,"
hut went off to the pond. Was the ice
really hard ? Did the boys 60? Over and
| over these questions came into his head.
At last, he threw his Latin grammar
| down, and went over to his mother who was
nending socks. lie told her the whole story
and asked her advice. She listened very
| gravely, then asked:
"Do you think they have gone ?"
al didn't think they would when | left
| school, but no one knows how Converse
would talk to them and half the boys would
| go rather than be called towards May l
go, mother? ?"
| Mrs. Butts was widow, and Ben was her
only boy She hesitated minute, then left
him and went into her room few moments.
Ben knew Why and he stood very still, look
ing down at the sock she had left, with the
needle in it.
| Presently she came back and stood before
him, with hand on each shoulder, looking
up into his face-he was taller than She
then said, with braveness that perhaps the
Father only recognized:
"You may go; only call for Farmer Ben
son on the way, and don't" but there she
stopped. "No, my boy; do whatever is
right. I leave you in the Lords care"
She drew his head down and kissed him
with mothers kiss OH lips and brow, while
her arms twined around his neck for mo-
ment. Then she let her son go to life or
death, whichever was right.
| Ben seized his hat and ran off up the road ;
then, as he looked back and saw his mothers
| figure in the doorway, he went back aud took
her in his young, strong arms a moment, u.s.
ing every tender, endearing phrase he knew,
then left her.
| They brought him back, an hour later.
| He had gone to the pond with Farmer
Benson. As they neared it they heard a
shrek. Ben sprang forward through the
woods to the pond. In the ice was large
/ hole. In moment he had thrown off his
coat and plunged in. After time he had
brought up the drowning boy. But Just
when they thought both were safe-that is,
when, by the help of ladder laid along the
ice, they had reached the hole without
breaking through again, and had taken Willy
Bell out, then Ben had sunk.
| Poor mother she bent over her boy with
fearless eyes after they had laid him down
on rug before the fire.
| They had given up rubbing him. 1t was
useless, they said. But mothers love
will not give up. She bent over him strok-
ing his hands, and putting her ear to his
heart, till, oh joy there was Auttering
sigh, and she knew her boy lived. Then
her tears fell like rain as with trem.
bling fingers she applied the restoratives
handed her.
Ben woke up after long sleep, in his
mothers bed. His mother was there, bend
ing over him-and Tom Converse looking
very white and eager
Mrs. Butts left the boys together after she
had welcomed her son back to life.
What they said to each other don't know,
but when Ben was well again, if you had
wanted to find any one to lay down his life
for him you need only to have turned to
Tom Converse; for, as Tom said, If Ben
hadn't saved Willy Bells life, he (Tom)
would have been a" But here Tom always
stopped.
AS for Ben, he was the school hero, and
he had only to say, MOI" TO any doubtful
enterprise and it was vetoed at once
lie is going to Harvard next year. Then
he is to be doctor, but to the boys he will
always be :" brave Ben Butler."- Collage
Hearth.