Port Tobacco times, and Charles County advertiser. (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1845-1898, 1851-10-20

brought him to the other side of the ditch
at single bound.
my dear Mignonne 7" exclaimed the SOL
der, caressng her with enthusiasm, s'our
friendship is for life or death"
He re,raced his steps. Now, tina. he had
a creature that loved him, to whom he could
talk, it seemed as if the desert were peopled
Having made signal flag of his shirt, be
concluded to wait patiently for human sue
cor. il was his intention 10 have watched
during the night, but sleep overpowered
him. When he awoke, Mignonne was gone.
He assembled the eminence 10 look for her,
and soon perceived her at distance, clear
ing the desert with long, high bounds.
When receiving his caresses, she purred
aloud, and fixed her eyes upon him with
even more fondness than usual. The SOL
dier palted her on the neck, and talked TO
her as he would TO domestic animal "Ah,
alb, Miss you have been eating some Of
the Maugrabn. Am. you ashamed: Never
mind; there are worse animals than you
are. But please don't take fancy to grind
upa Frenchman. Ifyou do, you WON'T have
me to love you any more.'
This singular animal was so fond of Ca
resses and play, that if her companion sat
many minutes without noticing her, she
would put her paw in his lap to attract al
tenion. Several days passed thus.
The panther was always successful in her
excursions for food, and always returned
full Of affection and joy. She became used
10 all the infections of the soldiers voice,
and understood the expressions of his face.
Sometimes he amused his weary hours by
counting the spots on her golden fur, and
observing how beautifully they were shaded;
she showed no displeasure even when he
held her by the tail to count the splendid
white rings, that glittered in the sunshine
like precious stones. 1t was pleasure to
look upon the graceful outlines Of her form,
and the majestic carriage of her head. She
delighted him most when in frolic. Her
extreme gracefuness and agility, as she
glided along, jumped, bounded, and rolled
over and over, was truly surprising. When
she was darling up the rocky eminence at
her swiftest speed, she would stop suddenly
and beautifully, as the Ftenchman called
'Mignonne."
One day very large bird sailed through
The air over their heads. In the desert, any
thing that has life is intensely interesting.
The Frenchman Quilted the panther to watch
the flight of the bird, as he slowly and hea-
Willy famed the air, In few minutes Sui
tana began to growl. "She is certainly
jealous,' thought the soldier, as he locke
at her fierce and glittering eyes. They gaz-
ed intelligen.ly at each other, and the proud
coquel,e eaped as she felt his hand upon
her head; her eyes flashed like lighting, and
she shu. them hard.
"The creature must have SOUL" ex-
claimed the Frenchman.
dier himself while ] was admiring the do
ciily of the powerful animal in the menace
RE at Paris.
| 81 did not know" continued the nara
tor, "what had done to displease Mignon-
ne so much, or whether the creature was in
mere sport, but she turned and snapped her
teeth at me, and seized hold of my leg
She did it without violence, but thinking she
was about to devour me, plunged my dag
ger into her neck. The poor creature roll
ed over, u,,eringing a cry that froze my
| IL
blow, but looked mildly upon me in her
dying agony. would have given all the
world to have recalled her to life. 1t was
as if had murdered friend. Some French
soldiers, who discovered my signal, found
me some hours after, weeping by the side
of her dead body"
"Ah, we'll !" said he, after mournfu
silence, 81 have been i'll the wars of Ger.
many, Spain, Prussia and France, but new
er saw anything that produced such sensa.
lions as the desert. Oh, how beautiful j
was !"
"What feelings did it excite - asked l.
sFeelngs that are no, to be spok en-" sale
the soldier, solemnly. do not always re.
greet my cluster of palm-lrees and my pan.
lher !; but sometimes their remembrance
makes me sad. In the desert there is every.
thing, and there is nothing"
"Whst do you mean by that ?"
81 cannot tell," he said, inpatiently.-
After pause he added, ''God is there with
out man."
A young gentleman the other day asked
young lady what he thought Of the ''mar-
rage state in general -
IN OF knowing, can't tell,'' was the re-
ply ''bu, if you and | were to put our heads
together, could soon give you definite
answer"
I'll wish you would not smoke cigars"
said plump little black eyed girl to her low
er. "Whv may not smoke as we'll as your
chimney" because chimneys don't smoke
when they are in good ORDER" He has quit
smoking.
There is grocer uptown who IS said
to be so mean that he was seen TO catch a
flea off his counter, hold him up by his hind
legs and look into the cracks of his feet, to
see if he hadn't been stealing some of his
sugar.