Bennington semi-weekly banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 1894-1902, 1896-01-10

wuz payin fer book that told about ba-
bies, Leander didn't begredge that IS so
very much after all.
"Leander," SEE Hattie one forenoon,
| "that b cyclopeedy amt no account
! There amt nothin in it about babies, ex-
I cept See maternity"
WAL I'll b'gosh durnedr' SEE Lean
der. That wuz all he said, N he couldn't
do nothin at all, fer that book agent,
Lemuel Higgins, had the dead wood on
him-tho mean, sneakin critter
So the years passed on, ore of them cy-
olopeedies skUwin up now n then, some
times every two years, N sometimes every
| four, but allus at a time when Leander
found it pesky hard to give up flyer. 1t
warnt no use oussin Higgins. Higgins
| jest LATED when Leander allowed that the
| cyclopeody wuz no good n that he wuz
boin robbed. Meantime Leander's family
wuz incrcasin N CROWN. Little Sarey
had the hoopin cough dreadful one winter,
but the cyclopeedy didn't help out at all,
cause all it said wuz, "Hoopin cough
see whoopin cough, N NV course there
warnt no whoopin cough to see, bein as
how the W hadn't come yet
Oncot when Hiram wanted to dreen the
home pasture he went to the oyolopeedy to
| find out about it, but all he diskivered
wuz "Drain-see tile" This wuz in
1859, n the cyclopeedy had only got down
to G.
The COW wuz sick with lung fever one
spell, n Leander laid her dyin to that
cussid cyclopeedy, cause when he went to
readin bout COWS it told him to "See
zoology"
But what's tho use NV harrowin up
ones feelins talkin N thinkin bout these
things? Leander got so after awhile that
the cyclopoedy didn't worry him at all.
He grew to look at it ez one NV tho crosses
that human critters has to bear without
complaint through this vale NV tears.
The only thing that bothered him wuz the
fear that mebbe no wouldn't live to sec the
last vOlyume-to tell the truth, this kind
NV got to be his hobby, n I've heern him
talk bout it many time settin roun the
stove at the tavern n squirtin tobacco
juice at the sawdust box. His wife Hattie
passed away with the yaller janders the
winter W came, N all that seemed to rec
onGilo Leander to survivin her wuz the
prospect Nv seein the last volyume NV that
oyclopeedy.
Lemuel Higgins, the book agent, had
gone to his everlastin punishment, but
his son, Hiram, had succeeded to his ia
Tiers business N continued to visit the
folks his ole man had roped in. BY this
time Leander's children had growed up.
All on ON wuz marr'd, N there wuz nu-
meris grandchildren to amuse the ole gen
tleman. But Leander wuZn't to be salts
fled with the common things NV airth. He
didn't seem to take no pleasure In his
grandchildren like most men do. His mind
wuz allus sot on somethin else. For hours N
hours-yes, all day lOng-he'd set out on
the front stoop lookin wistfully up the
road fer that book agent to come along
with n cyclopeedy. He didn't want to die
till he'd got all the cyclopcedies his con-
tract called fer. He wanted to have every
thing Strengthened out before he passed
away.
When-how we'll recolloct itl-when
come along he wuz so overcome that he
fell over in u fit NV paralysis, N the ole
gentleman never got over it. Fer the next
three years he dropped N pinned n seemed
like he couldn't hold out much longer.
Finally he had to take to his bed-he wuz
so old N feoble-but he made 'em move
the bed up against the winder so he could
peedy.
The end come one balmy day in tho
spring NV 1887. His life wuz a-ebbin pow
erful fast. The minister wuz there, n
me, N Dock Wilson, N Jedge Baker n
most NV tho family. Lovin hands smooth
ed the wrinkled forehead N breshed back
the long, scant, white hair, but the eyes NV
the dyin man wuz sOt on that piece NV
,s,b
come.
All to oncet a bright n joyful look come
Into them eyes, N old Leander riZ up in
bed N SEE, Its come"
What is it, fatherf" asked his daughter
Sarey, sobbin'like.
"Hush" sez the minister solemnly.
He sees the shinin gates NV the Moo Jeru-
salum."
Ono, mol" cried tho aged man. at Is
the oyclopoedy letter Z-it's comin"
N, sure enough, the door opened, n
in walked Higgins. He tottered rather
than walked, fer he had growed ole N fee
bic in his wicked perfession.
Here's tho q cyClopeedy, Mr.. Hobart,
SEE Higgins.
Leander clutched it. He Rugged it to
his pantin bosom then, stealth one pale
hand under the piller, he drew out faded
bank note n gave it to Higgins.
II thank thee fer this boom" SEE Lean
der, rollin his eyes up devOutly. Then no
gave deep sigh.
"Hold on" cried Higgins exoitedly,
you've made mistake 1t isn't the
last
But Leander didn't hear him. His soul
had fled from it's mortal tenement N had
scared, rejoicin, to realms Nv everlastin
bliss.
"Ho is no more" seq Dock Wilson met
aphorically.
Then who arc his heirs?" asked that
mean crittcr, Higgins.
"Wo be, soz the family.
"Do you conformity n severely &C
knowledge N assume the obligation NV
deceased to me2' he asked 'em.
"What obligationi" asked Peasley Ho-
bart, sternlike.
Deceased died OWN me fer CYCLIC
peedy!" SEE Higgins
That's lie' SEE Peasley. I'VE all
seen him pay you fer tho Zp'
"But there's another ono to come, " seq
Higgins
'Another?" they all asked.
Eyes, the indeY!' SEE he.
So there wuz, N I'll DO eternally
burned il he amt a-suin tho estate in the
probate court now fer the price nv IL -