The Miss Bannisters' Brother by E.V. Lucas
Christina Tiverton's father sends her a beautiful French doll from Paris, complete with a wardrobe, a tortoiseshell comb, a powder puff, and eyes that open and shut; Christina names her Diana and dotes on her from the moment she arrives at Mapleton, though Mrs. Tiverton warns that Diana is fragile and must be kept indoors from then on. A few days later Roy goes fishing alone at the river while Christina stays behind, but she soon follows him, bringing Diana against her mother's rule. While racing Roy to the old lime-kiln they call the cave, Christina falls, and Diana's eyes drop into her head with a rattle; at the same moment Christina discovers she has sprained her ankle. She is carried home in tears, blaming herself for disobeying, and though Roy and Jim the stable-boy try to fish the loose eyes out with a skewer, the housemaid insists only "the Miss Bannisters' Brother" of Dormstaple can mend such things. Nurse whisks the doll away before any attempt is made, since Christina, feverish and crying for Diana, cannot bear to have anyone near her. Christina's condition worsens overnight into a real illness with a chill on top of the sprain, and she rambles in delirium about having blinded her doll. The doctor tells Mrs. Tiverton that getting Diana's eyes mended is essential to Christina's recovery, but her arms are locked around the doll so tightly that nothing can be done without her waking distress. Roy resolves to act, tells Jim at the gate that he is walking the six miles to Dormstaple to find the Miss Bannisters' Brother, and sets off. The narrative then explains who the Miss Bannisters' Brother is: Theodore Bannister, an invalid and somewhat eccentric brother of Miss Sarah and Miss Selina Bannister, who live in a red house with white windows in Dormstaple. Confined mostly indoors, he is known for being clever with his hands, and years earlier his sisters, discussing the town's want of anyone who could mend toys, hit on the idea of turning the old billiard-room into a workshop for him, which they equipped with a stove, a bench, and matting, and dubbed the Dolls' Infirmary (Miss Sarah preferred "Hospital," Miss Selina "Infirmary"). Since then he has mended dolls and all manner of other toys, ships, kites, and even fireworks. Roy arrives at Dormstaple hot and tired, is turned away at the door by the servant Eliza because it is the wrong door and the wrong time of day, and breaks down crying. The Miss Bannisters' Brother himself hears him, brings him into the workshop, and gently draws out the whole story, asking only for Roy's father's name. He decides to go himself rather than merely give Roy a lesson in eye-mending, but insists on dinner first; Miss Selina explains that the carriage can be got ready while they eat, so Roy will still reach home faster than by walking. Roy is delighted and eats his first meal there with relish. The carriage, carrying the Miss Bannisters' Brother propped on cushions along with his sisters, sets off for Mapleton, astonishing the people of Dormstaple, since he has not driven out in twenty years. At the house, Roy announces the visitor to his mother, and Miss Selina explains the situation to Mrs. Tiverton before she and Miss Sarah drive off to pay a call elsewhere, promising to return within the hour. Roy, anxious to pay for the visit himself with his savings of seven-and-six, learns from the Miss Bannisters' Brother that the Infirmary takes no money, only promises — such as a promise to give away old toys or books to children's hospitals — and Roy agrees to do that. Taken to Christina's room, the Miss Bannisters' Brother introduces himself to her as a doll's doctor rather than a people's doctor, catching her interest despite her fever. He examines Diana's pulse with his watch, converses with Christina about her doll being French and delicate, then carries Diana to the window-seat while Mrs. Tiverton gives Christina her jelly. Working quickly with tools and a tube of seccotine, he cuts open Diana's head, resets the eye mechanism, and returns her fully mended within minutes, just as Christina finishes eating. Christina, overjoyed to see Diana's eyes restored, sinks back contentedly and falls asleep. The doctor arrives soon after, finds her sleeping peacefully, declares her on the mend, and credits the Miss Bannisters' Brother as "the real doctor," jokingly offering to send over his own door-plate. When the Miss Bannisters return, Mrs. Tiverton insists they all stay for tea, and the families part as firm friends. Afterward, Roy and Christina never pass through Dormstaple without stopping at the red house to visit.
By E.V. Lucas · First published 1908 · Genre: Children's Literature, Moral Fiction, Coming-of-Age/Bildungsroman · 5,714 words
First lines
I
Christina's father was as good as his word -- the doll came, by post, in a long wooden box, only three days after he had left for Paris. All the best dolls come from Paris, but you have to call them "poupées" there when you ask the young ladies in the shops for them.
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Genres
- Children's Literature — Written for and centered on young protagonists (Christina and Roy); age-appropriate narrative voice, concerns, and vocabulary consistent with early 20th-century juvenile fiction.
- Moral Fiction — Central narrative arc derives from disobedience (taking Diana outdoors against mother's orders) leading directly to consequences (sprained ankle, fever) and ultimate redemption through virtue and kindness; teaches responsibility and obedience.
- Coming-of-Age/Bildungsroman — Both children undergo character development through adversity; Roy demonstrates courage, loyalty, and resourcefulness; Christina learns consequences of disobedience and finds redemption through patience and trust.
- Domestic Fiction — Plot revolves entirely around family life, household management, relationships between parents and children, servants and employers; setting is the home and immediate family concerns.
Tags
family drama · sibling relationships · domestic fiction · British literature · social comedy · character-driven · unmarried women · romantic tension · social satire · humor · relationships · upper-class society
What this Textopian page supports
The Miss Bannisters' Brother is listed on Textopian as a short story by E.V. Lucas, dated 1908 CE.
This source record anchors work identity, reading entry points, and catalog context for checking claims about the work.
- Work type: Short story
- Author: E.V. Lucas
- Date: 1908 CE
- Language: English
- Genres: Children's Literature, Moral Fiction, Coming-of-Age/Bildungsroman, Domestic Fiction, Sentimental Fiction
- Length: 5,714 words
- Structure: 1 section, 121 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Fairly Easy (7th Grade)
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