The Penn's Grove record., 1893-08-25
By MARGARET COMPTON.

Ben and Guy were brothers,, but moi
At all alike. Ben was eleven and tall.
with broad shouldersand big bones, and
great hands and feet, a freckled q c
and red hair. Guy had dark blue eyes
with long silky Iashes, pink cheeks and
brown curls. People said he was far
too pretty for a boy. But Guy had no
wish to be nae over into a girl, for ne
had a good deal Of the boy IN him and
not a particularly good boy at that.
Their mother was the only one who
did not pet Guy and makefn OF Ben.
She kissed one quite as often as the
other and scolded Guy just as sharply
as she did his brother. She knew just
how naughty Guy was and how he was
often the one IN fault when other PEG.
pie put the blame on Ben, who they
thought was old enough to know bet
ter.
Guy was quick and Ben was slow,
and often Ben was caught and punched
and punished when Guy hal really
done the mischief, but had succeeded In
escaping.
Ore of the boys Christmas present.
was a box of maggie" two sets. by
which they could preform the most
wonderful tricks and Illusions. After
considerable practice, during which
Ben broke his best wine glass and
spilled half his magic powders, They
thought they could perform well enough
to give an entertainment.
1t was agreed that Ben was only to
print the tickets, sell them, take them
at the door, show people to their seats,
pull up the curtain, which he was to
arrange beforehand, together with the
table anu other preparations, and to
wave the Enchanter's wand-that was
all. Guy was to do the tricks.
It never entered Ben's good-natnred
head that this division Of labor gave him
all the work and Guy all the glory. He
printed all the tickets on his typewriter,
pasted them neatly on cards, drew Q big
poster Nth a picture of Guy IS "PTo
lessor Wunder, late Of Paris. London, st.
Petersburg, New York, etc., etc."
talked up the show and succeeded In
getting together a big audience of aunts,
cousins and neighbors at one cent ad.
mission. standing room only, and two
cents for reserved seats.
The exhibition was held in the back
parlor where there was an open CRATE
and a beautiful clear Gre glowing.
All went well until the entire pro
gram was finished, when Guy ordered
the curtain up and bowing gracefully
to the audience said:
"Ladies and gentlemen, / will now
show you the most wonderful trick OF
all-thegreat fire act which has de-
lighted the crowned heads OF Eurore
and which is never on my program, al
1 keep 1t for a surprise" Whereupon
he ran quickly to the freplacs and to all
appearances sat down upon the fire,
jumping up again in a second and
without even the smell Of singed cloth.
ing about him.
The laughter and applause declared
this the greatest trick Of the evening.
"You rascal" exclaimed a Jolly old
uncle in the front row. 'Come Ben,
you do that and l will give you a quar-.
ter"
The mother was not In the room OF
she would not have allowed such a
challenge. Ben was quick to take IL
up, and knowing no more of the trick
than those before the curtain, and prob
ably not as much, he sat on the fire and
In a moment there was a smell Of burnt
clothes and a cry of burnt hoy.
The party broke up in confusion and
Ben was put to bed swat3ied in I'll,
where he remarked for several days.
"Mother, !" he said one day, sswhy an,
l so different from Guy? Why Can't !
do magicf"
"My dear boy" she answered. ''youi
magic wal fsr greater than your bro-
theirs for y0u had the skill and patience
n getting up the entertainment.
Tricks sometimes win applause, but
hard work will tell in the end"
Ben sigaed, but he often speaks of the
incident now that they are rich men.
He and GUY are stu partners and Guy
freely admits that 1t Is Ben's magic
rather than his OWE which has made
their business a success. - Exchange