The morning call., 1891-08-17
PRISSY'S BROTHER BEN.
BY HANNAH BURLINGTON.

ripe ana SHINING, ana the DuSnes were lOau-
ed with themI Sammy was over the fence
with one bound and swinging his hat ex-
citedly, he called out to his sister:
"Oh, by jolly, how thick they are! Do
hurry. Pris; you never saw such sight of
blackberries in all your life! You can get
your basketfuI in a minutc!"
Prssv climbed over the fence more slowly.
She was older than Sammy-almost 11-and
was beginning to assume very grave and
womanly airs, especially when she was with
Sammy.
Don't you know, Sammy" said she,
when she had got over the fence" "that you
mustn't say by joly?' 1t isn't pretty TO
talk so, and mamma doesn't allow you to-"
"Oh, pooh!" said Sammy, as we'll as his
mouthfuI of berries would allow him to.
"All the big fellows say that, and [ shall,
too. You don't suppose l want to talk like
pretty for you to do so; but Pm mau, and
can talk as | like, aud do as like too. BY
and by, when I'm little bigger, I'm going
to run away to sea like Brother Ben"
80 Sammy, hushl You mustn't talk
about that Who told you about it?"
"Pooh!" said Sammy, "didn'tyou suppose
l knew that l ever had brother Ben just
because he went away when lie was little
chap? You must have thought | was
goose not to know what makes mamma feel
so bad and cry SO every stormy night
Charlie Davis told me long ago all about
BenS going away, and that they think he
must be dead, because the vessel ne went in
has never been heard from; but mamma
doesn't think he is, and don't think so,
either, and tell you when l get little big
ger I'm going to hunt him up"
GU wouldn't 20 aud leave mamma and
me alone, would you?"
why, of course L would; for little
while. Wouldn't you be willing to let me
go If I'd bring brnther Ben back with mc?"
Yes. | suppose So" answered Prissy,
signing. But you mustn't say anything to
mamma about it. Sammy. She doesn't like
to hear anybody sneak about Ben at all"
Then Prssy didn't say any more, but
picked away very diligently into the basket
that hung on her arm, while her thoughts
went back to the time when she was a little
bit of girl, and she remembered, so
vaguely that it seemed like a dream, her
brother Ben, brave, handsome boy, who
used to make her wonderful toys and clint
the apple trees to toss down the reddeSt and
ripest apples in her apron, and let her ride
on old Dobbin's back while lie led him, very
slowly and carefully, 10 the spring for water,
and be everywhere her companion and pro-
tectOr.
He was the sunshine of the house, Prissy
remembered - always merry and light
hearted; but one morning they awoke and
found him gone. Ee had stolen away in the
night while everybody in the house was fast
asleep and had left no message to tell
where lie had gone. But they knew at once.
He had always been eager for q sailors life;
his great delight was in porting over stories
OF the sea and OF foreign lands, and before
he was 10 years old he was wild with i'm
patience TO go. But his parents were not
willing; he was too young to leave home,
they thought, and they could never consent
to his Drawing the dangers and hardships of
sailors life; and so, TOO restless and i'm
patient TO bear waiting and suspense, he had
gone without their consent
They traced him to New York, and found
out the vessel III which he had sailed, but no
tidiDgs were ever heard from It, and it was
supposed that she had been wrecked and
her crew had persisted.
Prssy remembered so we'll the gloom and
sadness that settled down over the house
hold after Ben had gone. Her mother wept
almost incesSantlv. and her father went
about with such sad face.
Now papa was dead and mamma and
Sammy ana she were all alone in the world.
They were poor, too; the little property
that papa had left them was gradually
dwindling away, though they were very
economical, for they had no one to take care
of 1t for them. Oh, if what Sammy said
would only come true-if he could 90 and
ind BenI
But it would be so long before he would
be old enough to go, and lie was so merry
and thOughtleSs. Would he ever be so wise
and sober that mamma would be willing to
trust him away from her? PrisSy doubted.
Oh, If size herself were only man! The
burden OF care that rested so heavily on her
poor little shoulders had made her very
brave and patient, and She was sure that if
she could only 90 she could find him, if he
were anywhere i'll the world
She was so deep in thought that she went
on and on, wherever size saw clump of
blackberry bushes, without thinking how
far she was going, and when at last she did
look up the sun had set, and she and
Sammy, who had kept close beside her,
were away down in the woods, where the
trees and bushes were so close together that
it WAS hard work 10 push ones way through
them.
Come, Sammy" said she, I'VE must 20
home this very minute. 1t will take US a
very long tirae to get out of the woods, and
then il is more than a mile home"
But Sammy hadn't filed his pal-the
blackberries had such an unaccountable
way OF getting into his mouth instead-and
wasn't disposed to go.
DO please come, Sammy" pleaded poor
sides l do not Ike to be here when it is
getting so darkr'
'Pooh" said Sammy, 'there is nothing to
be afraid OF. That is just like girl! /
should think you'd remember the time when
you and Lizzie Davis got frightened to death
in Mr.. Gould'S paSture-said an awful look
ing old man, with his face and hands all
covered with blood, chased you; and after
all it was only Charlie Davis with his
> Ulu coat anu nat Oh. anu MS
hands and face stained with raspberry juice.
l should think you"
A loud scream from PriSsy interrupted
him. She was not coward she was rather
brave little girl; but what she saw was so
sudden and unexpected that she couldn't for
her life keep from screaming. From 4 clumD
of bushes just beyond where she was stand
ing mans face looked out-a pale, thin
face, with jet black hair hanging over the
white forehead.
In l,,5, 10
put out his hand to push back the bushes as
he looked out. Sammy saw him too, and in
spite of the courage he boosted started to
run as fast as his feet would carry him.
Prissy's heart beat so hard that she
could hear it, and her limbs trembled, but
she ran alter her brother as fast as she
could.
Don't go, don't goI" the man called out.
Il am faint and sick. Wont you please get
me some water?'
But the children did not turn back or stop
for an instant until they had reached the
fence and scrambled through it.
But what if it were really SOP" thought
Prissy when they were fairly out of the
woods and In the open road IF he really
were suffering, how cruel it would be to
leave him there alone. But 1t was not likely
that 1t was So" she thought and tried to
put it out of her mind.
Don't tell mamma that we saw any,
thing, PrisSy," said Sammy, when thew
49, 'i'nooN hv"o ioi you uU SHe IL
never let us go into the woods again. Aud
after ali it wasn't anything to be frightened
at. shouldn't have run If you hadn't
screamed"
So Prissy didn't say anything to her
mother about it, but all the time that she
was eating her supper of nice fresh bread
and milk and berries she couldn't help
thinking of the poor man, lying out there
Oh the hard ground; and after she had gone
to sleep in her comfortable little bed her
dreams were trou bled-the mans face kept
rising up before her, so thin and wan and
And as soon as the first streak of sunlight
came creeping in at the window, she slipped
out Of bed, with a look Of courageous resolu-
ton on her little face, dressed herself
hastily. and stole softly downstairs. The
farmers boy who came every morning to
milk their COW had already done his work,
and Drumming pail OF rich, foaming milk
was standing In the nnrch Prissv GIlad a