The Bennington banner. [volume] (Bennington, Vt.) 1858-1894, 1892-03-18
"a REGULAR LITTLE IMP"

regular little imp. He was so brimful
of innocent mischief, so pressed down
and running over withit, that he was in
a continuous hubby state of existence,
forever in or getting out of mischief.
seven gay little years "a debonair; dimpl-
ed mite with great blue eyes and a
tangled mass of yellow curls; so packed
with propensity for getting into scrapes
that there wasn't square inch of the
sturdy little body that did not stand
ready for one any hour of the day. He
knew just where the earliest birds built
their nests, just where the minnows
were to be found in shallow waters /;
knew where nuts grew, and where ber-
ries were the juiciest and biggest, and
with all the lore of the woods the busy
brain under the brimless hat was aston
ishingly familiar. He was mOtherless
little lad, passed around among the
neighbors as kind of trust He liked
them all; was devoted to the babies, and
all but worshipped the good doctor who
had attended his mother and who
always called him "my little man." in a
voice so gentle that Benjie felt as though
his mother had kissed him.
No wonder he liked DR.. Belts, a sweet
minded man, who put some of the
heavenly into his share of the best at
tributes of the earthly. His yard held
some half-dozen hammocks and roomy
swings for use of any and all the neigh
borhood children. His watermelon
patch was free to every boy whose teeth
annually ached to bite into the stripe
lhined fruit. His grapes ripened for all.
His buggy was a veritable "carry-all,"
so laden always with dainties for the
sick poor. He was queer, was DR.. Belts.
Actually cared no more for money than
for the tulips in his pretty wife's front
yard. Would rather receipt a bill, I'M
paid, after faithful attendance upon
some poor family, than fill his pockets
with the well-earned dollars. He gave
himself, his services, his days and nights,
without stint; and in return the bless
ings he gave to others came back to him
self, in the love and grateful words that
followed his rounds about the country.
He'd gather the children, white-faced
and bleak, and send them off i'll happy
wagon-loads for days pleasuring;
over dark, muddy roads before him, to
soothe sick baby for some worn-out
mother, and if he could not hush its
fretful cry, would speed up to the vii
lage store aud come back with a gay
rubber ball for the wee one before rid
ing away in the night. Benjie thought
him the most beautiful man in the world,
and in his seat on the top of the lumber
pile would harangue the boys stretched
out assuming on the boards, ready to
fight the first who dared gainsay his
statement that the kind doctor was
NiuSt the beSteSt man!n
None knew more of Benjie than that,
with his sad-faced mother, he had come
to the village year before. She had
soon died, this lonely-eyed mother, leav-
ing the child to charity-cold or other
wise. Whatever her secret, Benjie
guarded it well after she was gone. Not
even to DR.. Belts would he tell that
which she had forbade the telling.
1t was twilight as Miss Jessie crossed
the road leading up an elm-shaded slope
to the cemetery. 1t was quiet inside the
hedge, the air as still as the sleepers.
The stretch of woods beyond cast long
shadows down the tombstones, creeping
with soundless motion over the grass
after retreating day, Miss Jessie paused
irresolute, half-timid, as her glance fell
on dark something moving in the
grasses high along the roadside. AS she
looked, it Strengthened itself, and in the
brown dusk she recognized Benjie, his
little hands filled with clover blooms.
Quickly divining his purpose, she sped
up the road.
"Why, Benjie! what is the boy doing?"
taking the round chin in her warm
palm, looking kindly down in the blue
eyes.
"rm got clovers for mamma, Miss
Jessie said the little fellow, holding
The fragrant bunch up for her to see
them.
mamma loved clovers. She said they
were poor peoples roses, and that God
put them everywhere, so they can smell
them and have all they want without
paying money" and Benjle's brave lit
tie voice had sound of tears as he hid
his face in his blossoms.
Clovers red and white grew along the
dusty roads, nodded their pretty heads
Ovr curbstOnes, followed every turn in
the streets, every crook in the lanes,
rooted close against fence pailings, spill
ing their fragrance bounteously, even
dappled the stony way that led to the
cemetery, thickest and tallest and
'blithest right over against the gate
posts.
Miss Jessie took one little whist; the
sunburnt hand held tight its love-gift of
clovers.
Come, Benjie, 1 am going too, and
will take my flowers to mamma" she
said.
''To my mammal" said Benjie, the
blue eyes wide with surprise. "All those
roses and lilies-and-oh Miss Jessie, l
love you for that" Such glad little
voice now. ''Do you 'spect my mamma
will see them ?'' Benjie looked doubt
fully at the shadows creeping longer and |
blacker under the marble slabs, looked |
fearfully at the gloomy woods. "Do |
you 'spect God'll let her see now, it's |
getting so dark? He might think she
couldn't find the way back again. Do
you 'spect so, Miss Jessie ?' he queried
anxlously. mamma wasn't afraid of |
the dark. She said it was the Good
Mans beautiful dark, and that twas
always full of angels that do Gods
and take care of little boys
Benjie led the way past taller shafts
over to a corner where unmarked graves
were frequenter and shadows deepest,
to one all by itself close to the fence.
Mamma wouldn't be the leastest bit
afraid" he repeated; "only maybe she
might get all Tested going back. It's a
long ways to heaven, Miss Jessie; an
awful long ways, COS my mamma amt
never come back to see me yet"
Benjie laid his clovers on the low
grave. Then, as Miss Jessie put her
own flowers in his hand, he carefully