BEN PEPPER

BY MARGARET SIDNEY

AUTHOR OF "FIVE LITTLE PEPPERS AND THEIR FRIENDS," "A LITTLE MAID OF CONCORDTOWN," "OLD CONCORD," "HESTER, AND OTHER NEW ENGLAND STORIES," ETC.

ILLUSTRATED BY
EUGENIE M. WIREMAN

BOSTON:
LOTHROP, LEE & SHEPARD CO.

PEPPER
TRADE MARK
Registered in U. S. Patent Office.

Copyright, 1905,
BY Harriett M. Lothrop.

Published, August, 1905.

Twentieth Thousand

Norwood Press:
Berwick & Smith Co., Norwood, Mass., U.S.A.

Then she hopped away from Polly and made a little cheeseright on the sidewalk.

PREFACE

It was quite impossible that the detailed records presented through thelater Pepper books, of the doings and sayings of the "Little BrownHouse" family, should omit Ben. He, the eldest-born of Mother Pepper'sbrood, and her mainstay after the father died, the quiet,"steady-as-a-rock boy," as the Badgertown people all called him, withlots of fun in him too, because he could not help it, being a Pepper,was worthy of a book to himself.

So the hosts of readers of the Pepper Series decided, and many of themaccordingly be-sought the author to give Ben a chance to be betterknown. He was always so ready to efface himself, that it was MargaretSidney's responsibility, after all, to bring him more to the front, tobe understood by all who loved his life in the earlier records.

So Margaret Sidney, despite Ben's wishes, has written this latestvolume. To do it, Polly and Joel and David and Phronsie have told hermost lovingly the facts with which it is strewn. Most of all, MotherPepper-Fisher contributed to the new book, out of a heart full ofgratitude and love for her Ben.

MARGARET SIDNEY.

CONTENTS

PREFACE
I. The Christmas Shopping Expedition
II. Ben's Plan
III. Haps and Mishaps
IV. "It's Joel's Old Lady"
V. "The Presents All go from Santa Claus"
VI. Ben goes shopping with Madam Van Ruypen
VII. "Where's Pip?" And Jasper turned Back
VIII. "Any One who wants to please Jasper," said Ben, "had better takeup this Chap"
IX. What a Home-coming
X. "I'll love her just Forever!"
XI. An Afternoon Call
XII. Van
XIII. The Big Box
XIV. The Children in the Mountain Cabin
...