The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1891-03-26
BROTHER BEN.
a oueer Fancies of a Harmless
Lunatic.

much manner that l had been quite
gDpsssed by him.
Es had walked up together from the
.sA.ofice several times, and as l board
linear his house I often saw him in
sing, and thus we struck up an odd
n Of friendship, for was twenty
fzHe he was nearly seventy.
ne used to talk on various subjects
sHtics, religion, the people of the town
Hna the geology of the surrounding
suntry. and found him well informed
ID liberal in his views, and, better
aan all, tolerant of the opinions of a
yuHg man.
supposed that this tolerance i'm
gessed me the more because, owing to
Sng youth, 7 had been recently rather
saHbSed By some of my male relations,
md on that account had come to try my
trtunes among strangers.
Soitwa that when this courtly old
Faaeman showed me such marked and
polite attention / felt rather fiattered
andgeatly comforted thereby. l never
bad met any other of his family, al
h0aghI understood from him that he
had wife and an elderly daughter
sho lived with him in the great man.
son half hidden from the street by a
goEth Of trees and shrubs.
often stopped to talk with him at
hsgate, and he had invited me in more
aan once, but I always refused, until
me day he said, abruptly: 'Do you
knoW that / have taken such a fancy
bgou that ! want Ben to see you. Ben
sny brother, you know; he lives with
ne He is not quite right at times,
atle tightly, perhaps, but you won't
mind that
isav that he was thoroughly in ear
ass and to please him 1 said that 1
Roald go in and see Ben.
As we stepped upon the broad piazza
4 ~ friend hesitated. "Just word,
Paase, before we go in. Ben is very
aasltlve about his-his-troubles. He
Just my age; we are twins, in fact,
a physically he is perfect-yes, per-
1et-out there is something wrong
wa his head. he is all right on some
alags, you know; but he has some
queer iancies, poor fellow"
Inc tears came into his eyes and he
eeared his throat with a little cough as
eopened the door and ushered me into
Ofoad, Observation-Disclosures hall. He
Il ihe way from this into a cheerful
aA'iug-room and excused himself for a
'llle ne was gone looked about the
sn. There were quaint chairs, an
~ ssand or two, a rosewood cabinet
y an old-fashioned piano with moth
sol'peari keys; on the walls were a
~ portraits in oil and some good en-
sssVlngs of an old style.
me thing that struck me most. how
w, w vas tall .pier-glass let into the
Uni between two windows. From the
Oh q this, up to within a few
.sass q the top, it was painted over
81 : thick coating of dark paint, and
y vas ornamented by landscape
se4s painted in rather crude colors.
- was another and smaller mirror
sus Hame Of the clock, and this had
~ 1eated in a similar manner, little
An. ms Of bright showing here and
-sse through the dark pal. It.
! reasoned that the surface of the
~eSshver had been marred either by
1ss1 " dampness and that this paint
~. 'oen put on to cover up these de-
hDssao aho as | was gazing at the ugly
bsssape the old gentleman returned,
/ ng nus wife and daughter, to whom
ooth ladies' had lovely and refined
- which differed but little from each
-. Time had marked the lines
m5k - upon that of the elder woman,
- haar was white, but both W ore
aae ae sad, anxious expression, as
II, 81 some great sorrow was hanging
hisns h.uer' have brought my young
ss1 M = 20 see Ben,n said the old man,
sssa aouced that a meaning glance
ssl;a, NJ nom the ladies as the elder one
ln a pleading voice: Father,
8. SO well to-day. Hadn't you
sss 8. Na.s till some other time?' 'sNo
aees. AsOener; Ben's all right. All he
little cheerful company. >
nes saese words my friend left the
uoning me to follow him.
Nent across tha h.1l - .Il