The Abilene reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1883-1888, 1885-04-30
HOW BENNY RAN AWAY.

1t was cold and rainy that morning,
the morning that Benny ran away, and
this was how it happened:
Benny and his mother lived at DR..
Grey's, and the doctors little boy,
Charlie, and Benny were great friends,
but this particular morning there hal
been Il quarrel, and Benny went off to
The barn. if the truth must be told, sulk-
ing and refusing to play with Charlie
well, not for a long time, not before din
ner. at least.
But it was cold at the barn and he
soon started for the house Now. he
had been up on the hay-mow while he
was AT the barn, and so started for the
house cOvcred with dust. 1t rained On
him, and he got his feet muddy, and alto
gether it was rather a dirtv-looking
Benny that walked into the sitting
room and up to the stove Charlie.
curled up in a big chair with a picture
book, looked up, saw him, laughed at
him, pointed his finger at him and said:
Shame. dirty thing" which made
Benny very angry.
Benny ; mother was very neat, and
coming in just then and seeing how
dirty he look ID, scolded, and tried to
make him look somewhat cleaner But
Benny didn't Ike to have his face
washed at any time, and this morning
he was So very cross, and made so much
fuss and noise that the doctor. sit
ting by the window study after look
ing up sternly once or twice, rose. set
Benny gently outside the door saving:
There. stop there until you can come
in and he quicI." OH how angry Benny
wa. He ran 10 the barn and walked
around the floor for long time. How
Shamefully he was used what should
he dO-how mean Charlie wa; to laugh
at him and the doctor had treated
him still worse what made his mother
stay tn re-he wouldn' any longer
Mrs. Gray, too. she was kinder 10 him
than any Of the rest, but she ALWAYS
made him 20 TO bed at eight o'clock
he would run away, and then maybe
they would be SOrry-where should h
90 perhaps he had better 90 down
South that gentleman visiting at the
doctors the other day said it was ALWAYS
warm there. Benny had heard him say
10 the doctor: 10 one who has never
visited the South. it Is truly surprising
the difference of climate one finds start
ing from here some night and travelling
until some time the next day "Well.
Benny thought he could stand it to travel
one night and part of the next daV-he
would go 1T once, so off he started. He
heard Charlie calling him as he started
but he only ran the harder He went
across the fields most of the time. for
he was afraid of so many people and
teams.
In the afternoon he began to get
rather hungry. But about four 0 clock
he met little girl coming from school.
She called TO him, and gave him what
was left in her lunch basket. She tried
TO coax him home with her, but he
would not go. He found barn stand
ing in the middle of field and slept
there that night, nestled down between
some hay and straw.
1t was late when he woke mp the next
morning, for he had got very tired the
day before. H supper had been rather
light, and he felt terribly hungry. |
Where was he to get his breakfast? |
Perhaps if he stopped at the next house |
they might give him something to eat; !
he would try. But here he ireceived |
terrible fright He was scarcely inside |
the gate when n big boy coming out of |
are you doing around here? Clear ont, |
We don't want you! TowSer, here |
TOwser" Benny ran away before he /
had got half through, but he heard the
dog barking and expected to be over
taken every minute. But the boy, evil
IDENTITY satisfied, called the dog back !
and went off in the opposite direction
whistling.
Poor little Benny He had been so |
frightened and ran so fast he thought |
his heart was surely coming out of his /
mouth. As soon As he dared he stopped !
to rest, down by hank and some
bushes where he was sheltered from the !
wind, for it was growing colder.
1t seemed to him As though he had
not rested st all before he heard the
sound of wheels coming down the hill |
beyond. He crept arouRG TO the other
side of the bushes and lay peeping out.
1t was DR. GREY Oh dear, would he !
see him-waS he looking after hinl9 He
thought he had got so far that the doe
tor could never come, but in reality it ,
was only few miles from 1he doctors
house, although it seemed such dis
tapee to Benny-he wished he knew
how his mother and Charley aud Mrs
Grey were-the doctor is looking in this
he see me?" Evidently
he did not, for he drove right on. and
after while Benny started cut once
more.
He must have something to eat.
About noon he saw house that APP
peared to have no one around He
ventured into the yard after time. and
found piece of bread and cold pota-
to by the kitchen door.
Benny was too hungry to be very
particular, bur he couldn't help think
ing of the nice bread and milk Mrs.
Grey gave him.
The snow was beginning to fly and it
was growing so cold. Benny thought
that he must find place to sleep, early.
How cold he was, how tired he was and
now hungry he was. He wondered how
much farther he would have to 90 to
each ''down South"
The barn at which he stopped that
night was old and dlapidated. The
snow sifted through wide crevices over
he hay NOW. !