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


a succession of six girls before the son and
heir, so essential to its dignity and fortune,
was born These preiminaries to parental
pride and satisfaction realized, as soon as
they could communicate with one another,
that they were incidents and not events.
Each one seemed to acquire an apologize
expression under the very molding of the
nurses fingers. This sense of insignificance
was so apparent that the clergyman at the
several christenings always hestated, as il
doubling the application of so sacred rite
and once asked for the child's number in.
stead of its name.
When Benjamin, as Matthew Loomis
rather pointedly named his son, was con-
fided to their joint care, 1.-THE girls" from
being vassals, became slaves. Perhaps
though, on account of their willingness,
they should be termed priestesses to the
Lares and Penates which the lad represent
ed. They never suffered the sacred fires OF
| his Importance to dwindle until he grew
old enough to take charge Of himself, and
then of course the flames were augmented.
The LOOMS sisters were indeed good
girls. though not one of them ever had the
face to quote Handsome is that hand
some does" Abigail, the oldest, set the
pace. The others followed like Indian war
| riors in her very traces. They were thus a
corrective to her, as she was an emulation
to them. 1t was a moral game of follow
your master" Each sister put on her cid.
er's excelencies as she did her castoif
clothing. And there was an abundance of
this latter in the household, for the girls
grew like weeds-that is, likestringy weeds.
Their good mother was always boasting of
the day when they would begin to fill
out" Alas, when the final stature was
reached nature had exhausted her MATERIAL
And So when they were all young ladies
that is when Judith, the youngest, had
reached the age where the others awaited
her-the family page was as replete with
exclamation points as a sketch by dialect
writer However, the girls were as single
in purpose as they were in destiny. That
purpose was Benjamin, and, like them
selves, that purpose was very plain. AL
though this was in accordance with the
laws of consanguinity, they resolved that
imagination should wipe away that touch
of nature which made them kin. They
each remembered their first collective view
of the child as an unrelated nightmare.
The boy was undoubtedly cross eyed, and
his hair was literary in quaity-that is, well
red. One gasp of CONSERVATION, and then
had followed the resolution aforesaid-by
faith to make him whole. Once only was
there lapse for them, although Benjamin
of course was cuddled in six. Poor Han
nah, one of the Intermediates over whose
identity every one, including herself, STUN
bed, achieved disgrace and remorse
through an unheeding girlish enthusiasm.
"Oh, the sweet little tootsy wootsy," she
had cried "I'm sure caught his eye"
"Eyesl Sarah, Elizabeth, Judith, Rachel,
Hannah, mean" exclaimed Abigail Sc
verely, and the reproof became mental
pinmark to the five.
So. tender did they grow inNths regard
that one day Elizabeth spoke Of the shade
of the pressed brick house building across
the way as golden" and they all con.
graduated her Oh the felicity of the term.
Alas, that golden tinge was destined
soon to become jaundice to the girlsl One
afternoon, when they were starting out for
a stroll, they were severally shocked into
elongated vibrations by hearing the taunt-
ing cry of "giraffes," and by seeing a rude
little girl on the opposite porch with point
ing finger and protruding tongue. A pref
ty little girl, too, with eyes dancing more
blithely than her tiny feet, and hair that
the breeze wove into a glory around her
head.
IF that child were mine," said Rachel
conspicuous in the flock for blunt speech
II would shake her." And the others
while they deplored the condition, applaud.
ed its conclusion-indeed, on the following
day they would have moved jointly to its
conclusion had they not been too moved tC
do so. For there were two haunting voices
two fingers and tongues of scorn, two forms
that danced, and one, alas so awkwardly
. that affection could not be so blind as tC
fail to recognize
Its Benjamin. sighed the five.
Benjamin." repeated Abigail, with 8
moan. "Ichabod, rather, for our glory has
departedP
And truly Ruth Atkins, for this was the
little girls name, acquired without seek
ing an influence over Ben jamin which the
girls could never find Doubtless it spranp
from contrast, for he learned that with hel
his will was valueless, except as an alterna
tive. Ruth barely endured him, but this
endurance was his delight His sisters
found that neither cajolery nor menace
could affect his infatuation, so they stored
it away with his eye and his hair. 1t be
came their thorn in the flesh, and the for
mer was as real as the latter was lacking
There, too, it remained, though Ruth her
J self came to their aid for it's outplucking
One day Benjamin lay on the floor of the
parlor, kicking and screaming, while the
six stood around, each one exemplifyine
alike Patience and the Monument. Their
= before the window flashed an indignant lit
tie form.
. you horrid boy" cried Ruth, Ito treat
your sisters sol never want to speak tt
you again, SO therel If they are girafTcs
you are hyena, and cross eyed ont
too"
But in vain. The "hyena" became bu
another count in the indictment agans
Ruth, and the stoutest proof under it wa!
that Benjamin's Partially was not moli
fed by it, save as plants are forced by fer
vent heat. The lad had ample chance t
INFECT his companionship He believed will
the old song that there was no place lik,
J home especially since that home was across
the street from Ruth's. Besides he had M