The Bennington banner. [volume] (Bennington, Vt.) 1858-1894, 1894-02-02

and Ruth good natured. And so they con-
tinued pnyfellows, just as Indifference and
alteration often mate. And the six appraised
10 spatulate palms in adherence.
There was another cause, not reason for
the sisters dislike of the little girl. 1t was
not to be supposed that, because they were
self inundated on the altar of devotion,
sentiment might not penetrate where love
was repealed. Indeed they shared soft
passion, the softer and hence the more
agreeable because unknown and unsus-
pected beyond the ideal virgin bosom in
which they had each a one-sixth interest.
There was the young doctor around the
corner, the cynosure of their dreams, the
sleeping Endymion gazed upon by half
dozen Dianas-Dianas, alasl each without
a beau. Poor young man, to pursue the
dull routine of his profession in Ignorance
of such a store of bliss near by; as the hus-
bandman-oh, improbable phrasel-may
drive the tardy pillow over rock imbedded
gold. And yet, the girls argued, there was
meaning in his bow, and his very glance
seemed to speak. perhaps it cried, Lord,
how longp' for the mute prayers of friends
for deliverance are sometimes personal in
their application.)
perhaps" as Judith, who was poetical,
once breathed in suggestion, perhaps he
can't determine which posy to pluck"
Perhaps, on the other hand, had he consid-
cred, he would have judged the "posy" to
be an old fashioned and withered flower.
But sentiment has no business with proba-
bilties; they concern its enemy, sense. The
girls were we'll content to nourish this in
nocent flame until Rachel, the blunt
spoken, caused it to assume forked
tongue.
"Oh, girlsl" she cried one day, what do
you Think Our young doctor takes that
little mink across the way driving with
him and actually let's her hold the reins."
Then hatred swelled the common heart and
flashed from the collective eye. "Insatiate
archer, could not one suffice?" Jealousy
can twist the hands of the clock in any d.
rection, give infancy the arts of maturity
and bedeck age with the charms of youth.
| 1t can, and it did. Twice wounded, the six
vowed that never, never would they forgive
their unsuspecting and guileless antago-
mist.
Then came change and decay. Change
for Ruth, and-well, it were ungallant to
comment on the ravages of time. Mr.. At
| kins, Ruth's father, had business abroad
and took his family with him. The gold
en-" house was closed, and the little mink
across the way disappeared from view for
many a year. From view, but not from
mind, for the six now lived in "reminiscences.
AS they themselves did not change, so the
young doctor remained the young doctor;
Benjamin, in indulgence at least, the little
lad, and Ruth that chit of the pointing fin
ger and protruding tongue. Each day they
discussed her, but they never added hem
to her dress, and never, never did up her
hair.
Constant inspection of an undeniable
mustache at length caused 1.-THE girls" to
Jump Benjamin from 10 years to 20, in
which niche he was sure to remain for the
rest of his life. He was too alive to his own
dignity for them not to yield in this respect.
An occasional oath drove from him the de-
lusions which could easily enwrap the
young doctor and Ruth, alike distant. Ben
jamin had put on manly things in an I'M
manly way The girls could cuddle him,
but only on his own terms, cash down. He
viewed himself with the eyes of faith, and
thus was 1.-The substance of things hor9d
for"
In reality he was puny and meager, with
bicycer's back, but without the comprn-
satng muscle He made no mistake about
Ruth's age and appearance, She would be
altogether adorable and desirable. The
mistake he did make was in thinking that
such perfection could be for him. But then
he plumed himself on being young man
of the times, and young men of the times
are satisfied with nothing-that is, with
themselves. He was a young man of the
time All, well, the times must then be out
of joint!
Matthew LOOMS, the father had long
since passed into another sphere, there tC
atone by an eternal contemplation of the
Malthusian theory. The gentle mother
had sunk into that state where every day
is Saturday evening. The girls managed
the household and Benjamin managed thu
girls. They and he shared everything in
common-that is, they held and he enjoyed
AS he told the boys at the club, he looked
after the estate" He did, after it's in
crease, and when he had finished there was
no need of any one else doing so, for there
remained nothing to see. But he satisfied
the girls, and what more could a brother
dor Since they proclaimed him the flower
of the family, he would accommodate then
so far as his attributes permitted by com
placently abstaining from all manner o
toiling and spinning
, One Gay EllZdDeJn, Jne euUuuSldSblC
came to the assemblage of her sisters in
great excitement. The house across tn,
way was opened. The family had evident
ly returned. She had seen grand beauti
full young lady at the parlor window
Could it be that that little spitfire Rutf
had been so transformed by foreign travel
Nonsense" said Abigail, and a sibilan
echo arose from the four. You do imagine
such extraordinary things, Elizabeth. We
haven't changed; why should she? Likely
, you saw her governess"
Poor Elizabeth, she thought Of so man!
arguments she could advance had sht
,, dared. But suppose she deserted this com
munity of thought, oh, where would sh'
beP Wandering through thicket will
the glimmer of one poor light, instead o
the glow of six. Oh, no, spinsterhood re
quired support. ut must have been thu
, governess," she assented.
But the next morning Benjamin declared
the unfolding of the hated chrysalis. :"
made call last evening"" he confided II
them generally as they witnessed the open
ing of his eggs. IA most charming crea
ture, by Jovel My old friend, Ruth Atkins
was quite taken off my feet" Luckily
the six were seated, else they might hav'
followed his example.
, Creature" snapped Abigail. "She wa
o1, md thara xIyuS nm ATTAIN nt "a