Bennington semi-weekly banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 1894-1902, 1894-10-19
THE MEDICINE CHEST

"Going to move agdin!' cried despair
ingly. "Tbat makes three times this
year and three days I've cribbcd out of
my business to lift trunks and pack boxes
and bully long suffering cartmon in her
behalf Mother, l don't think can stand
it any longer"
"Oh, Theodore, dear, don't say anything
rash," pleaded my mother Remember,
she's worth a good deal of money, and If
you and Annie are married next month
perhaps she may do something handsome
for you"
But just then little colorod girl
brought in my tea and toast, and the qucs-
| tiop of Grandmother Ormisted was adj
journod to some future time
went early the next morning to Pen
grove square, the last abiding place of my
Capricious minded grandmother, who
might have been very Arab, so far as
wandering habits were concerned.
There she sat, drinking chocolate on the
apox of heap of trunks, boxes, parcels
and cages, with n tremendous structure of
black Grape that she called bonnet
perchcd on the top Of her head, her spec.
tacles on one side and good deal of gray
hair escaping from under her red false
front
Good morning, ma'am," said I, vino
ing little at the sight.
THAT cartman hasn't come yet" said
my grandmother. Il knew he wouldn't
come when he was engaged. Cartmen al
ways disappoint me. Get mo another one,
Theodore, and, mind, 1 won't pay moro
than 50 load. Every one tries toiimpose
upon a lono woman but won't stand it,. "
The horrors of that misty, drizzly morn
ing will ever remain daguCrrcotypcd upon
my soul. Tho alterations between my
grandmother and her landlady; the hand
to hand combat between Cartman No. l,
who had just arrived too late for the job,
and cartman No. 2, who considered that
the only equitable method of settling the
little difference was by rolling up his coat
sleeves and dancing round the two trunks
with doubled fists and belligcrent looks
and cries. the wreck of stair carpets and
crash of china statuCttCs-I honestly be-
lieve that one week of such days would
have sent mo to an idiot asylum. And
the worst of it all was that my grandmoth-
or insisted on riding with the cartman her
self.
"'Tain't usual, men," said that indi-
vidual.
II don't care whether it is or mott"
parked out my grandmother. How am
/ to know where you arc taking my things?
Theodore, you can sit on tho square truck
behind. And be sure you look out for that
morocco medicine chest. It's got ill those
cough mixtures and restoratiYcs in it,"
But, a'am''- l demonstrated.
EITHER do as tell you or stay at
home!" cried my grandmother as she
scrambled up beside the Jchu, and away
we joltcd over the pavcments like travel
ing caravansary.
Hero was nice position for young
man who belonged to a club and knew u
lot of fashionable fellows. Riding on q fur
niture truck, with one arm round par
rot's cage and great yellow bandbox
studded with crimson roses on my lap. [
could almost have wished in my despair
that the pavement would open and swal
low me up.
Theodore" cried my grandmother,
"thero a young man a-nodding to you. 1
wonder if it isn't somebody we could hire
to help with the thingsf Young mani 1
say, young manm
Mr. Fitzaluns-theF itzalans of Madison
avcnue-starod. I signalcd to the cartman
to drive on as fast as he could and pretended
to look the other way. But at that very
instant the medicine chest, an oblong,
leather colorud instrument Of torture, slip
ped from its moorings and fell, striking
sharp angle against my nose and descend
ing with almost human malice on my pot
corn.
Nature is nature, and don't pretend to
be supernatural. The piled up agony Of
the moment was too acute to be borne.
had been doscd from that medicine chest
many timo as a helpless little boy.
had luggcd it around as man until every
anglo haG acquired a fearful Significance.
Nor is it too much to say that I hated that
medicine chest
And now this final aggravation was
the last hair that broke tho camels back
I set my tCoth closely together and grasp
ing the offending leather parallclogram
flung it desperately into the gutter.
"Thcre'll be ut least one less trial in
the world, " muttercd as l saw it shattCr-
ed into pieces and gradually floating like
some wrecked vessel down the muddy
stream.
We reached Andovcr street, No. 1888,
and there recommended the tumult until
each and every individual article was
slowed away in it's right place. 1t was
nearly dusk when my grandmother at last
sat down and took pinch of snuff out of
q much battered tortoise shell box
''Well, WE'LL" said she, ''we've done a