BEN’S BEAUTIFUL SURPRISE
When Saturday came Benny set off on his wheel for his visit to the
Welch’s, a very happy little boy, with his hard earnings in his pocket.
As he neared the store he saw Jennie on the lookout for him. He could
scarcely wait to show his wheel, and made his pedal go as he covered
the last few rods. “See my wheel,” he cried. “Aren’t you surprised to
see me on one?”
But Jennie hardly noticed the wheel. “He’s come, father, he’s come!”
she cried. “Oh, Benny, we’ve such a beautiful surprise to show you.
Hurry! Hurry!”
Benny hastened his step at Jennie’s call, wondering the while what this
fine surprise might be. “Maybe it’s some more puppies,” he thought,
and he followed Jennie around to the side porch. “Sit down on that
step,” said Jennie, “and you’ll see something fine.”
Benny did as he was bid, and the next moment two hands were clasped
over his eyes. “Guess who!” cried Jennie, but before he could decide
a familiar little laugh came to his ears, and the secret was out.
“Kitty!” he cried, jumping up. “Oh, Kitty, how did you get here? Is
mother with you?”
“No,” answered Kitty, “there is only me for you to see. I’ll tell you
all about it. This morning Mrs. Welch and Jennie came to town, and they
came to our house straight off, and asked mother to let me come back
with them this afternoon. Mrs. Welch said that you had told them about
me and that Jennie wanted so much to have me come; and mother hurried
and got me ready and I came, and I am going to stay a week. Oh, Benny,
I am so glad to see you, and isn’t it all lovely?”
Benny was ready to agree with her most emphatically.
“I didn’t want to leave mother all alone, but she was so glad to have
me come, and Miss Perkins is going to stay with her while we are away.
Mrs. Welch brought mother some lovely strawberries and some eggs, and
she’ll have a feast to-morrow. Oh, Benny, aren’t they good? Now tell me
everything, I want so much to hear.” And Benny proceeded to tell his
experiences to a very much interested little girl, who was properly
indignant, pleased, or proud, as the case might be.
“And oh, Benny,” said Kitty, when he had told of Mr. Welch’s kindness,
“Jennie is so dear; she just begged to have me come, and we have had
such a good time to-day.” The fact of the matter was that Jennie’s
quiet sympathies had been so aroused by Benny’s account of his delicate
little sister that she had implored her parents to ask Kitty to come
and make her a visit, and would not rest till her mother had taken her
to town to see Kitty, and Mrs. Jordan’s consent was then won without
much difficulty.
Three very happy children they were who went down to see the collie
puppies, and who laughed to see the tiny speckled pigs with curly
tails, and who viewed the poultry yard with much pride, Jennie, growing
ecstatic over the broods of pretty downy chickens. It was while she was
cuddling a yellow duckling that they were summoned to the house to help
Mrs. Welch to make ice cream. Benny made himself most useful, pounding
the ice and turning the freezer with a good will.
“Is it anybody’s birthday? It’s just like a festival,” said Kitty.
“Strawberries and ice cream and cake. Think of it, Benny; I didn’t know
people ever had such things just in an everyday way; I thought they
only had them when they had festivals or parties or something.”
“I suppose it is somebody’s birthday,” said Mrs. Welch, laughing,
“but I don’t know just whose. We make ice cream very often in summer,
for we’ve an icehouse full of ice, and plenty of cream. Suppose we
celebrate your birthday to-day?”
Kitty, very much pleased at the suggestion, looked up with a radiant
smile.
“Oh, then she’ll have to have some birthday gifts,” said Jennie,
and she ran off to have a consultation with her father, the result
of which was that at suppertime Kitty’s plate was piled high with
packages, not of very much value, but they represented great bounty to
Kitty, who so seldom had anything new. First there was a cunning little
china tea set from Jennie, then a small doll from Mollie, a little box
of candy from Mr. Welch, and a handkerchief from Joe, while Mrs. Welch
placed before her a big frosted cake on which the name “Kitty” was
outlined with little pink candies.
Kitty looked from one to the other in speechless joy, and Benny was so
overcome with gratitude at such kindness that he turned to Joe, who sat
next him, and hugged him in the most energetic manner.
For once in his life Benny had all the ice cream and strawberries that
he could eat. It would not be well to state how many saucerfuls he
ate, for the statement might seem a doubtful one, and it is still a
greater surprise that he was not made ill.
The peaceful Sabbath came with a soft, blue sky, with orioles and wrens
singing in the flowering honeysuckles which grew around the porch; with
sweet odors wafted up from the roses in the garden; with everything
so fair, so quiet, so beautiful, that Benny and Kitty both felt a new
reverence for the day, and they started off for Sunday-school as happy
as possible. Mrs. Welch had dressed Kitty in one of the pretty little
white dresses that Jennie had outgrown, had put upon her feet a pair of
nice tan shoes which were too small for Jennie, had curled the little
maid’s fair hair so that when she appeared with her sweet little face
shining with pleasure, even Mr. Welch gave her an admiring glance, and
said, “Well, little one, you look as sweet as that rosebud pinned on
your frock.”
Kitty looked up at him with gratitude. “It must be nice to have a
father,” she said, and the good man turned away to hide his feelings.
“Poor little tots,” he said to his wife, as the children went out the
gate, “it’s pretty tough when a man has to leave children like those
unprovided for.”
“Then don’t you do it, Thad,” said his wife, with a twinkle in her eye.
Mr. Welch laughed and started out to follow the children.
The little picker took his way back to Mr. Bentley’s early the next
morning, feeling that, with Kitty so near, and the happy memory of
that delightful visit, he could get through the week quite happily,
especially since he was now delivered of the disagreeable presence of
Ivan, and no longer was compelled to sleep in the pickers’ quarters.
“If Mrs. Bentley wants your help you just do what she tells you,” Mr.
Bentley said to him, “and it will be the same as if you worked in the
field. I’ll make it all right.” In consequence there were many times
when Benny was bidden to go for the mail, which gave the happiness
of a few words with Kitty; again, he was sent to get vegetables from
the garden, to bring milk from the dairy, to help Mrs. Bentley with
her chickens, until he learned many things of which he had hitherto
been ignorant. He particularly liked to work in the garden, and Mrs.
Bentley was well pleased to have some one to carry flowerpots, to make
a border, or to help her transplant the growing flowers.
“I shall have a fine garden this year,” she said to her husband, “that
little Ben is so quick and willing, and is so interested in what he
does. I should really like to keep him here all the time.”
“I reckon his mother will want him home again,” replied Mr. Bentley,
“but we’ll have him down early next year. Thad Welch says he is an
uncommonly nice little fellow.”
“I’ll take him to the picnic with me,” said Mrs. Bentley, “he makes
himself so useful, and will be such a help with the children; besides,
he will enjoy a holiday.”
And so, to Benny’s great delight, he was told that he was invited to a
Sunday-school picnic. He had heard great tales of it from the Welches,
and Kitty was in a high state of excitement over it.
“Oh, I’m going to the picnic!” he gleefully told the two little girls
the next time he went for the mail.
“Oh! oh!” cried the two children, “Ben is going! How fine! I thought
you said you couldn’t go, Benny.”
“Well, I didn’t think I could. Mr. Bentley didn’t say anything about
my stopping work; but now Mrs. Bentley says she wants me to go with
her; and Oh, Kit! she’s making cakes and pies, and frying chicken, and
making biscuit till you can’t rest! I tell you she’s got a lot cooked!”
“So have we,” put in Jennie. “I must tell mother right away that you
are going; she’ll be so glad.”
A long drive in the big Dayton, in which were stowed sundry baskets,
brought the picnicers to a pleasant grove which overlooked a beautiful
creek. And it would be useless to try to tell what a good time the
children had; of how they swung on the grapevine swings; of how they
gathered lovely, sweet-smelling magnolias; of how they fished from a
little rowboat, and of how they ate unlimited supplies of good things;
then the games that they played and the songs that they sang, till,
just as a glorious sunset touched the water with long streaks of rose
and gold, they made ready to drive home. If was all entirely too
delightful not to give enjoyment during every minute of the day to the
little city children who had scarcely ever been beyond brick walls, and
they joined heartily in the homeward singing, going to bed at last with
very tired bodies, but very happy hearts.
“Do you think you can help me churn?” Mrs. Bentley asked Benny the next
morning.
“I don’t know,” replied he. “I never saw how butter is made, but I’ll
try.”
“Oh, well, that is all I want you to do. There is not much skill
required, and if you keep the handle of the churn going that is all you
need do.”
So, under a widespreading chestnut tree, Benny set to work at this
new employment. It was rather monotonous work, but he could do it
mechanically and let his eyes rove over field and sky till, after a
while, he felt the cream growing more and more lumpy.
There was a long lane leading from the road up to the house, the gate
opening into it from the side yard being nearly always open. Just
before the gate little Alice was playing contentedly in the sand with
sticks and pebbles.
Benny turned to look at her when he saw something which made him drop
his churn handle and run swiftly. A buggy was coming up the lane,
the horse rushing on furiously. It was evident that the girl who was
driving had lost control of her horse. It was Molly Welch who held
the reins, and her horse was running away. In another instant the
horse would reach the gate. Not only was Molly in danger, but little
Alice was directly in the road. Benny rushed forward with one thought
uppermost--if he could only reach the gate and shut it. It was a race
between him and the runaway horse. He darted off, reached Alice, flung
her aside, and made a last desperate rush for the gate.