The Bennington banner. [volume] (Bennington, Vt.) 1858-1894, 1892-05-20
THE REVISED EDITION.


The baby was first ribiculously like
Sammy. Sammy could not see it. He
remarked with the critical infallibil-
ity of 3-year-old that "the kid" (meaning
the white-starched and embroidered di-
vinity who made the household gods
tremble) had even Moosey's claims to
good looks. Moosey took this as aperson-
al insult, and after protesting chorus
of banks and growls seized Sammy by his
tartan skirt and bit of his plump little
leg. Sammy then concluded that the
circumstances warranted a reconsldera-
ton of his decision, and he conveyed to
MoOsey his regrets that this diagnosis
had been hasty and his judgment prema-
ture. He even went further, and ac-
knowledged that he had not been wholly
unbiased in the matter. Moosey hand
somely relinquished his hold and the case
was settled and MOosey spent the rest
of the day posing in, as nearly as possloie
the attitude of the white china dog in
the cabinet, which he admired extreme
ly. And Sammy went and poked the
baby while the nurse was having it out
with the parlor maid. The baby howled
and then spent the rest OF his life pay
ing back that poke.
But still the baby was Sammy's NINA
ture. and every one said. "How hke!"
and Sammy had rage in his heart.
The days went on and the baby, after
the manner of his kind, got bigger and
older. And as he grew he became so
much prettier, cleverer, stronger and
better behaved than Sammy that the
family called him the Revised Edition"
Then it wss that Moosey sneered at
Sammy with his tail and that Sammy
began TO loathe the Revised Edition.
At five years of age, Sammy was busy
acquiring miscellaneous information. At
two, the Revised Edition eyed Sammy
and took notes. Sammy Numbered pain
fully into the knowledge that chair will
not balance itself with person of
Sammy's size sitting on its back; that
| coal oil as a beverage can be improved
upon; that they are less unpleasant ways
of learning the alphabet than by tracing
with the forefinger the letters on a hot
stove. And the Revised Edition appro-
priated this dearly bought knowledge,
and displayed no desire to prove the con-
illusions by personal demonstration.
Sammy tried to break down the brick
wall of nursery rules by repeated attacks,
and then howled to the winds of heaven
his opinion of personal chastisement and
these who administered it. But the Re-
vised Edition, conscious of his own I'M
developed powers of speech would pre-
vent his having the satisfaction of subse-
quent vituperation, kept the rules and
avoided the chastisement. All this was
very trying to Sammy. No elderly
brother patronage was possible, nor was
his brief show of authority impressive,
since he himself was usually in durance
vile, and the Revised roamed free as air,
Through boyhood, as through baby.
hood. Sammy acted as an experiment
to be improved on. After he had coquet-
ted with the different attractions of
| school life, he finally settled down to sums
| and base ball. The Revised Edition took
the prize for arithmetic and got on the
first nine. Sammys reputation as a
scholar and an athlete might have been
brilliant if had not had younger broth
er who outstripped him in everything.
Was anything ever so maddening?
| What made Sammy rage and foam at
the mouth was the fact that he was the
originator and basis of the Revised's sue
cess. 1t was Sammy who scheme1 for
the Jerseys and knickerbrQckers but it
was the Revised Edition whom the family
fell down and worshiped when the suits
were tried on. 1t was Sammy who beg
! ged for a canoe, but it was the Revised
who won the the small boys single in the
canoe race.
So at college. Was it Sammy who amid
the wild yells of a madly enthusiastic
crowd was borne on the shoulders from
the field, after a grandly won game
of Rugby foot ball? Did Sammy get the
largest vote ever polled for President OF
the Debating Society? Was Sammy the
youngest member of the graduating classF
No! These triuuphs belonged to young
er member of his family.
The younger member came to be called
"The clever Mr.. Soldan." This distinc-
ton brought Sammy's gathering useful
ness to a head. People should see which
was the clever Mr.. Sedan, and away he
swan with strong strokes into the sea of
life. At first, he kept ahead of the Re.
vised Edition; the latter rapidly gained
upon him, but presently dainty silvery
boat with ''soft silken sails" dTifted right
in their course. In the stern sat slip OF
a girl-but such girl, such face! hold
ing the ropes aimlessly. On the stern
was painted Love. To dive under it, OF
swim around it, orlclamber on board and
dive off the other side? A moments gasp
and they both clambered, Sammy first,
but-they did not dive of the other side.
The swimming contest was postponed in.
definitely, and another contest entered
upon. Who could best steer the. boat
for the girl the rest Of the way? The
tussle was lengthy and powerful. Sammy
went in for blood, and the Revised Edi-
! ton had a reputation to sustain. Be-