Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1893-06-14
The Way to Manage Bennie.
BY NJ. L. b. BRANCH,

Name Shoriledge has a fever, ard
her mother'has sent BeDnIe over here
TO Aunt AIMS for fe II le'll catch it.
Aunt Ann Is going t., keep him TIL
NJ me gets well il it fakes two months,
size say, because she is sorry for MIS-.
Shorte1ge. He sleeps in the trundIe.
bed IN Aunt AIMS room, and he looks
real cunning lis niglt-gown.
When he first Ca me, Marian and l
curled lis hair and showed him pic
lures, and payed with HIM all the tine
we were not in school. But after day
or two we got tired, and there were 50
many other things we wanted to do
we couldn't be bothered with Bennie.
81 wher lie came hanging around
with his picture-t Ook. we'd say, "Oh,
run away, BennieI We can't stop to
show pictures now. BY and by we
will"
Then in q minute or two he'd COM
again, and say:
ut IS binebynOw, Jamarianl" That's
the way he mixes our nan es up. be-
cause lie heaIs Aunt Ann say tJane
and Marlan," when she peaks to US.
We'll, of course we couldn't stop to
show him pictures when We had all our
lessons to learn and wOrsted work to
do; and besides, l am learning to
croci ct. So when he kept teasing US,
we'd say:
"Oh, do get out of our way, BenI
Don't you ST we're busy?"
And once or twice we gave him a lit
tie push. 1t didn't hurt him bit.
but he went in a corner and cried, and
Aunt Ann s2.d we ought to have more
patience ] felt sorry myself when l
heard him sObbing: 'I want my
mammal l want my mammal For
we hau heard that very day that Name
was worse and her mo'her was ali
tired out, but she couldn't leave her a
minute.
So then I told Rennie L would show
him ten pictures if he would let me
alone afterwards, and Marian d she
would give him a loZenge # he would
let L01' alone, and so we got a5 much
as an hour to do our own work in peace.
BeDnie went and sat down by himself
in his little chair; and he looked so for
lOrn and so cunning had half a mind
to g and play with him. but l Just
turned away and wouldn't notice him,
and got all the red done In the book
mark l was working, before dark.
After supper lie cried again to go
home. Aunt Maria had ore Of her
headaches, but she took bin IN er lap
and got him to sleep, and Marian aud
had a chance to do our sums. When
we went upstairs to bed We agreed
that 1t was really trying 10 have child
like tnat in the house.
at mixes up your duties So" said
Marian. SIT makes you feel as if you
did wrong TO learn your lessons and
mend your stockings. L know Aunt
Ann actually frowned at us when We
were ciphering."
I smiled uIder the bedclothes, foT
Marian never does mend her stocking
till the very last minute before she puts
them on, but l agreed with her that il
was too bad to be made to feel selfish
when we were doing things we ought
t. do.
The next morning one of the girls in
school lent us splendid book to redr ,
but she said we must finish il that same
day, for she could not let us keep it any
longer. So we thought we wonld read
all We could at noon to get start.
As we turned into our yard, there
was Bennle watching fnT us al the win
hands when he saw US, and we could
hear him call:
"Jamarianl JamaTianr'
"There nowr' said Marian. "He
won't let us read one word. Let's 60
up garret and stay till dinner is ready"
So when we went in we just laid our
books and states on the table in the
front entry, aud slipped upstairs
instead of going into the sitting room.
We found nice place up in the west
gaTret by the window, and there we
sat side by side, reading rs fast as We
could for nearly half an hour. 1t was
faiTy-bOOk.
II wish l could be a fairy" said
Marian. 81 could maze so many
people happy. Either fairy or
missionary"
L thought it was very noble in
Marian to want to do so much good,
and when Aunt Ann called US to din
ner we went down with our aims
around each other, and felt pleasant
toward everybody.
But the minute we opened the sitting
room door, Bennie ran to meet us, ex-
claiming iOyously:
"See my pretty horsesl l drawed
'em all myself. Look, Jamarianr'
We looked down. 1t was my slatel
lie had got it from the entry taue, and
rubbed out all my sums that L had
worked so hard over the evening be-
fore. and that 1 was keeping on my
slate for that afternoon IS recitation!
was so provoked l could have shaken
him.
You naughty, naughty boyP' ]
cried. "Now you've spoiled my lesson,
and 1 shall lose my perfect card, and !
do think it's too meant!
A cloud came over his bright little
face, and his lip quiyered. L didn't
care il he did cry. 1 thought he ought
10 after doing such thing as that.
expected Aunt Ann would scold him,
hut she didn't; she only looked sad.
There was no time to spare. Marian
and | ate our dinner, and went oil to
school as quick as we could. Before
The be II rang L stepped up to The leach
or and told her how Bennie ShCrtedga
had rubbed out my sums, and asked
her to excuse my lesson. She was
great deal nicer than L thought she
would be.
Certainly I will excuse you, Jane, .
she said, pleasantly. 'and you shall
Lave your merits Just the same. Poor
little BennIei L suppose he doesn't
uoow ushst 70 ~r With himself away