Bennington semi-weekly banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 1894-1902, 1895-06-21

the unhappy maid my heartfelt sympathy
as 1 we'll cOuld-and passed on, having
learned the fates of two more friends. Not
far away found another, for upon the
same country road, in a flourishing gar
den, before spacious farmhouse, saw
the tall form of our eldest bridlike mem
Der. 1 passed quite near him but
he did not see me for he was
busily planting beets and tur-
nips with geometrioal precision,
in beds of every conceivable shape and
size, while from his mouth in solemn
chant came such a stream of polysylabic
words and puns that 1 was forced to COW
er my ears and flee. Then seemed to
enter a grand concert hall within whose
spacious walls all the fashionable world
seemed to have assembled. Upon the
great stage toward which all eyes were
directed was a wonderful orchestra, from
whose active instruments poured forth
soul-stirring melodies. Handling dex-
terously the first violin and occupying
the place of leader to this wondrOus COM
pany was an energetic figure, which after
careful scrutiny recognized as that of
our POwnalite member. AS l watched
the active movements of this master splr-
it and as l listened to the magnificent
strains which under his directions filed
the great hall, felt that not in vain had
he in days of yore tortured our patient
ears and those of his suffering neighbols
with his musical gymnastics and that
twas not for nothing that his waving
locks had been allowed to grow so long
that it had at last required a class sub
scription to procure their clipping. As
was passing from the great room, l
heard an admiring auditor remark that
so the famous man spent his nights while
during the day he benefited mankind by
his services as a skillful physician. This
was too much and [ seemed to be so
overwhelmed with wonder and astonish-
ment that realized nothing more until
l stood in the midst of a suit of beauti
fully furnished rooms. Soft bright car
pets covered the floors, rich, heavy cur
tains hid the windows, yet through all
the luxury of the apartments there
| seemed to penetrate peculiar odOr that
Immediately reminded me of sundry
tooth pullinGs, filings and other like tor
lures. l looked about me again. Yes
certainly was in the office of a well.to-do
dentist. The sound of an energetic voice
earnestly talking having reached my ears
l advanced in the direction from which
it seemed to come, and soon stood at the
door of an inner room in which | saw, to
my surprise, the stalwart form of our
dental member. Before in the chair of
torment sat a weeping woman whom my
former schoolmate was confidently as
surfing that the operation, as performed
by him, did not hurt in the least and that
she stood in immediate danger of her
life if that particular tooth were not eX-
tracted on that particular day. The pa
tent remained stubbornly inCredulous,
but !, under the influence of those only
too well-known argumentative powers,
felt myself becoming gradually persuad-
ed that l had dreadful toothache and
was about to step up and implore the re-
moval of the afflicted member when all
vanished and saw before me a little red
school house of the early 10Th century
type. 1t stood in the midst of great
prairie. the sun beat holly down upon it
and yet gentle wind moaned dismally
about its creaking window blinds. While
gazed with dread upon the melancholy
picture, l seemed to pass within the
weatherstained door and to enter a dis
NAL room. Upon its walls, which were
nearly denuded of plastering, hung maps
that would have astonished even Captain
John Smith, and about the cracked win
dow panes great lazy spiders blissfully
wove their webs. Scattered here and
there about the room as if to appear to
the best advantage, were five children.
Their faces wore that wearied, desper-
ate expression which one sometimes sees
in the countenance of a person who is on
the point of being talked to death, yet
their eyes were all fixed in a vacant, in
voluntary stare upon low platform. 1
also looked toward the figure. 1t was a
woman's, and the face with it's carewOrn
expression and wrinkled brow seemed
strangely familiar. The voice too, with