Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1891-01-24
BROTHER BEN.
The Queer Fancies of Harmless
Lunatio.

He had so much dignity, this old man,
so much manner that had been quite
impressed by him.
We had walked up together from the
post-office several times, and as / board
ed near his house l often saw him in
passing, and thus we struck up an odd
sort OF friendship, for l was twenty
while he was nearly seventy.
We used to talk on various subjects
politics. religion, the people of the town
and the geology of the surrounding
country and found him well informed
and liberal in his views, and, better
than all, tolerant of the opinions of
young man.
| supposed that this tolerance i'm
pressed me the more because, owing to
my youth, had been recently rather
snubbed by some of my male relations.
and on that account had come to try my
fortunes among strangers.
So it was that when this courtly old
gentleman showed me such marked and
polite attention felt rather 1attcred
and greatly comforted thereby. / never
had met any other of his family, al
though 1 understood from him that he
had wife and an elderly daughter
who lived with him in the great man
sion half hidden from the street by a
growth of trees and shrubs.
1 often stopped to talk with him at
his gate, and he had invited me in more
than once, but / always refused, until
one day he said, abruptly: do you
know that I have taken such fancy
to you that want Ben TO see you. Ben
is my brother, yor know; he lives with
me. He is not quite right at times, n
little flighty, perhaps, but you won't
mind that"
saw that he was thoroughly in ear
nest, and to please him said that
would go in and see Ben.
As we stepped upon the broad piazza
my friend hesitated. "Just a word,
please, before we go in. Ben is very
sensitive about s-his-troubles. He
is just my age; we are twins, in fact,
and physically he is perfect-yes, per-
fect-but there is something wrong
with his head. He is all right on some
things, you know; but he has some
queer fancies, poor fellow"
cleared h.s throat Wit Il ''tlc co rs
he opened the door and usherc5 ,
broad, handsomely-fu ISL au
i th way from this into u CN-7~f'1l
sitthlh room and excused himself 4
mo, lelt
n 10 he wHs rome looked = .yut the
rOo.A. Th - 4uaI- chairs, an
OIL stand or two, rosewood cabinet
-nd an old-fashioned piano with moth
er-of-pearl keys; on the walls were
few portraits in oil and some good en-
cravings of an old style.
The thing that struck me most, how
ever, was tall pier-glass let into the
wall between two windows. From the
bottom of this, up to within few
inches of the top, IL was painted over
with a thick coating of dark paint, and
this was ornamented by landscape
sstiifiy painted in rather crude colors.
There was another and smaller mirror
In the frame of the clock, and this had
been treated in q similar manner, little
CLEANS of bright showing here and
there through the dark paint.
1 reasoned that the surface of the
quicksilver had been marred either by
time or by dampness and that this paint
had been put on to cover up these de-
fects, and as I was gazing at the ugly
landscape the old gentleman returned,
bringing his wife and daughter, to whom
he introduced me.
Both ladies had lovely and refined
faces which differed but little from each
other. Time had marked the lines
deeper upon that of the elder woman,
and her hair was white, but both wore
the same sad, anxious expression, as
though some great sorrow was hanging
over them.
''Mother, have brought 10Y young
friend in to see Ben," said the old man,
md I noticed that meaning glance
passed from the ladies as the elder one
replied in pleading voice: "Father,
Ben isn't so well to-day. Hadn't you
better wait till some other timc?" mo
no, mother; Ben's all right. All he
needs is II little cheerful company"
With these words my friend left the
room, motioning me to follow him.
We went across the hall to a small
room furnished very simply. There
were some cases of books, leather
lounge, and couple of arm-chairs
drawn up before Il large mirror.
Walking proudly to the mirror which
reflected his erect form and handsome
face the old man introduced me to
-krother Ben"
Of course / understood it all in
moment, the painted looking-glasses,
the sad-faced women, and their reluct-
aucc to allow a stranger to intrude
apon their sorrow.
twas a complete surprise to me, for
had never suspected the least thing
wrong with my friend, and had be-
hered in his brother Ben without a
shadow OF doubt. Luckily the ladies