The Bennington banner. [volume] (Bennington, Vt.) 1858-1894, 1890-07-31
BENNIE.

! He was only ten, and small for his age,
but he was hero. and fought his battle
and died a victor before his eleventh
birthday. Like many other dying
mothers, Bennie's had left this message
Take care of father" and Bennie had
answered, 81 will, mother"
And he kept his promise. The guant
wolf of poverty was always lurking near
the threshold of the desolate room which
Bennie called home. But the brave
child would not allow him to enter He
could not do mnch but he fought him
off with all the strength he possessed.
He helped larger boy sell papers when
ever he could get away from watching
his father, he did errands, he held
horses, he sold apples for the old woman
whe had the corner stand; in fact. he
did 'what he could'' and trusted God
for the rest. In winters cold or sum-
mer's heat he was always to be found
at night IN the vicinity of a saloon which
his father visited. Whether it was eight,
or nine, or ten, or eleven o'clock when
his father reeled out, the faithful child
was always ready to lead him home
safely. His reward was usually curses,
sometimes blows; but Bennie did not
murmur: he would keep his promise,
whatever his father chose to do.
When Thomas Dunn, Bennie's father,
was sober, he seemed to care for his little
bOy-Once even going so far as to put
a hand gently upon his head, and say
with half sob, as if realizing the child S
neglected condition, Poor boy! Poor
little Bennie." But Thomas Dunn sober
intervals were getting rare.
Bennie, weary and heart broken, began
to fear that the wolf must cross their
threshold, for it took all his time now to
"take care of father" lie was always
staggering around somewhere, or
stumbling over something; he seemed
to need Bennie every minute. One day
as the two were crossing the street, the
staggering men fell, and Bennie's full
strength was used to pull him to place
of safety. In another moment Bennie's S
feet were crushed all out of shape, as
two runaway horses drawing a heavy
carriage trampled over him. He was
picked up very gently, and taken to a
hospital, whittier his sobbing father
followed him.
Terrible days followed-days of physi-
cal agony to Bennie. days of mental
torture to his repentant father. One
evening Just at dusk Bennie opened his
eyes, in which the light of reason shOne.
A look of wonder was in his patient
face. In the cleaning he could see the
hospital surgeon sitting beside him.
What did it mean?
"Why am here?' he asked, his voice
faint and trembling with fear.
"You were injured, my boy, and we
had to perform an operation" answered
a gentle voice.
"What was the operation?" his voice
trembling with fear.
Your feet were amputated, my poor
child"
"Cut off, sir, do you mean?"
"Yes-cut off.
"Oh, sir, what will become Of father?
promised mother I'd take care of him,
and-and-n
Don't think about that now, Bennie," ,"
said the surgeon, his voice shaken with
sobs.
"But | must think about it sir;
father'll be under the horses feet, and
mebbe be killed, and he amt ready to
die. Couldn't have crutches, sir, and
go and find father?h
Some one whom he had not noticed in
the dusk was kneeling at the foot of mis-
bed; the person now crept nearer, and a
voice shaken with sobs said, "You don't
need the crutches, Bennie lad; fathers
here and he'll never leave you"
1t was even so; over the faithful child's
crushed feet the dissipated father had
found his way to the cross.
Bennie died that night. His last words,
looking up with beautiful smile, were.
Mother oh mother! kept my promise
did take care of father. ."-Selected