North American. [volume] (Swanton, Vt.) 1839-1841, 1840-08-12

ed into n instrument OF NehgshCrf anu abst
was an article without which he could not
even hope to 60 to sleep, he had OF course
TO turn out again to fetch il.
How many more times, wonder" he
observed 10 himself, "shall ] have 10 get
out of this blessed heo To night Exercise
is certainly comfort, and very conducive
10 health bat such exercise as this why
| where have YOU got :" he added address
sing the pillow, which with all the sweep
ing action of his feet he was sometime I'M
able to find Oh, here you are, sir, are
you ''' and he picked up the object OF his
search and gave il several severe blows IN
the belly when having Teinstated himself
between the sheets, he exclaimed IN sub
dued tone, Well, let's try again ~
Now, Mr.. Jonas Beagle was man who
prided himself especially upon the even
| ness of his temper. His boast was that
nothing could put him in passion, and as
| he had less than most OF his contemporaries
10 vex him, he had certainly been able, IN
the absence of all cause for irritation, TO
| preserve his equanimity. AS perfect
natural matter, OF course. he invariably
attributed the absence OF such cause TO the
innate amiability Of his disposition and
marveled that men of sense and discern
ment, should 80 far forget what was justly
expected of them as reasonable beings, as
to suffer themselves 10 be tortured by eX-
element, inasmuch albeit as human nature
and difficulties are inseparable, human ma
ture is sufficiently potent not only 10 battle
with those difficulties, but overcome them
| IfMr. Jonas Beagle had to contend against
many Of the " ills flesh and blood are heir
TO-" he, in all probability, would have act
ed like the majority Of his lelow-men ; but
as he had met with very few, and those
few had not been of very furious COM
pexion, he could not afford to be deeply
philosophical on the subject, and felt him
self competent, Of course, to frame laws by
which the tempers OF men in the aggregate
should be governed He did, however,
feel, when he violently smote the pillow,
that The little ebullition partook somewhat
OF the nature of passion, and just CON-
menced reproaching himself Tor having in
dulged in that little ebullition, when Val
entlne cried, "meyow pit !-meyow
"Hallo p exclaimed Mr.. Jonas Beagle,
'here again ~
"Mew % said Valentine in somewhat
higher key.
" What ! another come to contribute to
the harmony of the evening %
"Meyow-meyow - cried Valentine IN
a key still higher.
"Wefl, how many more of you :" in
quired Mr.. Beagle, ''you will be able 10 get
up a concert by-and-by )" and Valentine
began to spit and swear with great felicity.
"Swear away, you beauties ~ cried
Mr.. Jonas Beagle, as he listened to this
voIley of feline oaths !; g only wish that
was not so much afraid of you for your
sakes. At it again ? Well, this is bles-
sing. Don't you hear these devils OF cats -
The cried, anxious not TO have all the fun
| himself but Y alentine recommended sno-
ring very loudly. "Well, this is particu-
larly pleasant" he continued, as he sat up
in bed "Don't you hear What COM
fort it is to he able to sleep soundly :"
which remarkable observation was doubt
less provoked by the no less remarkable
fact that the splitting and swearing became
more and more desperate. "What's to
be done p he inquired, very pointedly.
"Whats to be done my breeches are
right in the midst Of them all. can't get
out now they'd tear the very flesh off my
legs; and that fellow there sleeps like top.
Halo! Do you mean TO say you don't hear
these cats, how they're going it," Val
en,ine certainly meant no such thing, for the
whole OF the time that he was meyowing
and splitting, he was diligently occupied in
snoring, which had a very good effect, and
served TO fill up the intervals exceedingly
well.
At length the patience of Mr.. Jonas
Beagle began TO evaporate; for the hostile
animals continued to battle apparently with
great desperation. He, therefore threw a
pillow with great violence into the bed Of
his companion, and shouted so loudly, that
Valentine, feeling that it would be perfect
nonsense 10 pretend TO sleep any longer,
began TO yawn very naturally, and then TO
cry out, 'swho's there 20
cts !' shouted Jonas Beagle. "Don't
you hear these witches Of cats 20
"Hist '' cried Valentine, "why, there
are two of them -
"Two p said Mr.. Beagle, "more like
two-snd-twenty I've turned out dozen
myself. There's a swarm, a whole colony
of them here, and know no more about
striking light than fool"
ooh, never mind, !" said Valentine, "let's