Daily evening star. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1852-1854, 1854-02-22
upon her dress, feebly smiling while she
twlddles him in her fingers and then

twiddles him in her fingers. and then
pasSiveiy dropping him on the floor.
Two grave Galata merchants will stop IN
the midst of bargain sportively 10 catch
flea on the shirt front of an acquaintance.
and, cracking out his crisp life on the
counter, will proceed to draw bill on
London, or to discuss the exchange, the
depreciation of Kaimes, and the rise of
gold. ..... .....
No individual throughout the country
seems to be able to resist the fascination
Of hunting a flea wherever lie sees him.
What trapping was to the Red Indians
what the fox chase was TO the squire Of
our childhood-fea-hunting is to the ORR
entail; 1t is passion-a delight. As
soon as the lively little game breaks
cover, no matter where or when, the ewes
of the Perote light up with unwontcd
fire; keen sporting expression passes
over his face he raises his hand STEALTH.
ly by a sort of instinct the certainty of
his aim might pass into a proverb, and
the next moment the hand has descended,
and the Perote is twiddling his finger and
thumb with tranquil satisfaction, and has
resumed his occupation, be it what it
may. He would stop to catch q flea on
his way to be hanged, or to be married.
He must have missed appointments, lost
fortunes, by the habit but it is engrafted
in his nature, and is uncon uerable.
| have gone into rooms where feas lay
thick as dust upon the floor, and each of
my steps must have killed hundreds of
them; but if | ever yentured to express
the smallest distaste upon the occasion,
became as incomprehensible to the men
of Pera, as if had told Chinese dis
liked stewed dog.
They will even argue the point with
you if you press them closely, and main-
tain that the flea is like the the elder
Mirabeau-the friend of men. They
will tell you that fleas keep up an irrita-
tion Oh the skin, which is highly bene.
ficial in hot country, and prevents the
accumulation of morbid humors. On my
demonstrating also with o hotel waiter
about finding them constantly in NV
bread-some baked and some aliye-that
individual who spoke all the languages Of
the world in bad French, assured me the
baker had superstition about them,
and thought them lucky. Pumping him
with light hand, found he was not
quite free from the same idea himself, and
that it obtains generally throughout the
country. He said that to ailay the irri-
tation they occasioned, was at all times
pleasing occupation; that it was to be
remarked, that no flea ever bit a man in
a dangerous place, or injured his eye,
or bis ear, or opened an artery, there
fore, feas were the friends of all men.
lie did not know (nor do II what many
of the Perote gentlemen would do if it
were not for the unfailing entertainment
supplied by feas. He believed they kept
people who had nothing to do out Of
mischief He said that the courteous
catching of flea upon the person of an
other, offered frequent and pleasant op-
pvl tunity of commencing conversation,
or beginning an Acquaintance, that ac-
qualnfances so formed had often ripened
into warm and lasting friendships. He
had even known more than one instance
of Perote marriages brought about by a
cheerful and inofensive gallantry of this
kind. He was much surprised at the un-
justiiiable anger of an English lady at
dinner, upon whose shoulder he had sue
ceeded in catching a flea by an adroit
Of his left | and, while his right
was occupied in presenting her dish of
kid, stuffed with chestnuts. She scream
ed, and her gentleman threatened to horse
whip him. He confessed his feelings were
hurt, and his reason confounded by this
behavior on the part of nay country peo-
Pile. No Perote lady would have raised
her eyes from her plate during such an
occurrence.
| endeavored to soothe him by saying
we were people who lived in an inclem-
ent climate, and to whom, therefore, the
utility of the flea was comparatively un-
known; but he would not credit it. He
could not bring his mind to bear all at
once upon fact which appeared to him
so remarkable. Twas like Christian
knight who told an African king that he
could ride his horse dry.footed over some
of our rivers in winter, and who was i'm
bowstrung.
remember parsonage of no mean
rank once calling my attention specially
to see him hunt and kill two fieas, who
were reposing together on the linen cover
Of sofa. He began by rousing them
into fight with the golden point of his
pencil, and then pursued them in state
Of the liveliest excitement for some min
utes. He had long white beard, snd
was man Of august presence At
length he ran down his game, and taking
them in the usual way between his finger
and thumb, finally slew them upon the
pipe-stick of brother sportsman, who
offered it spontaneously for the purpose.
In the mosques, in the Inarket-place,
in the palace, by the sweet cool seaside,
in the coffee houses in the hot and sultry
there is Perote, there
is flea, and the Perote's greatest delight
is to capture it.
FUGITIvE SLAVES IN CANADA.-The
Rev. w. II. Hawkins, a celored preacher,