Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1855-04-07

favoritc (: and the reply was u furious blow, which
follcd The s%peakcrg and drew o on the offender
q severe chastisement from the task maker.
Arrived at the place Of labor, he worked with n
sort of feverish ardor, as though trying to give
vent to his pent.up emotion and, while stopping
over q largo beam which he and some others were
irving to raise, he felt something gently tickle his
check. lie turned round, and gaven shout Of JOY.
There, on his shoulder, was the only friend he had
in tho world. his rat who, marvellous instinct,
had found him out, and crept gently up TO his face.
lie took the animal in his hands, covered it with
kisses, placed it within his nest and then, addrcs.
sing the head g%aoler. who happened to pass by at
the moment, be said,-
Sir, if you will allow me to keep THU rat, / will
solcmnly promise to submit to you in everything
and never again to incur punishment
The ruler gave n sign of acquiescncc, and passed
on. The convict opened his shirt, to give one
more fond look nt his faithful pct, and then con-
tcntodly resumed his labor.
That which neither threats nor Imprisonment,
the scourgc nor the Chain, could effect, was accom-
pliShcd, and rapidly, by the influence of lore,
though its object was one Of the most despised
amongst animals. From the moment when the
formidable convict was permitted to cherish his
pet night and day in his bosom, he became
the most tractable and vell-conductcd man
in the prison. His herculcan strength, his
moral energy, were both employed to assist the
governors in maintaining peace and subcrdinati0n.
Fine-Ear, so he called his rat, was 1.-The object of
his unccasing tenderness. He fed it before he
tasted each meal, and would rather fast entirely
than to allow it to be hungry. lie spent his brief
hours of respite from toll in making various little
fancy articles, which he sold, in order to procure
dainties which Fine Ear iked,-gingerbread and
sugar, for example. Often, during the period of
toll, the convict would smile with delight, when
his little friend, creeping from his westinghouse,
would rub its soft fur against his check. But
when, on a fine sunshine day, the rat took up his
position on the ground, smoothed his coat, combcd
his long moustaches with his sharp nails, and
dressed his long. ears with his delicate paws,
bis master would testify the utmost delight, and
exchange tender glanccs with the black, roruish
eyes of Master Flne-Ear.
The latter, %confding in his patrons care and
protection. went, came, sported, or stood still, GER
tain that no one would iujure him for to touch
a hair o. the rats whiskcr would be to incur a
terrible penalty. One day, for having thrown q
pebble at him, a prisoner was forced to spend a
week in the hospital, ere he recovered the effects
of a'blow bestowed on him by Fine. Ears master.
The animal soon learned to know the sound of
the dinner-bcll, and jumped with delight on the
convict when he heard the welcome summons.
-Four years passed on in this manner, when, one
day, poor Finc-Ear wa attacked by a cat, which
had found her way into the workshop, and received
several deep wounds, before his master, flying to
the rescue, seized the feline foe and actually tore
her to pieces.
The recovery of the rat was tedious. During
the next month, the convict was occupied in dres.
sing his wounds. 1t was strange the interest which
every one connected with the prison took in Fine
Ears misfortune. Not only did the guards and
%turnkcys speak Of it as the topic of the day, but
the hospital nurses furnished plasters and bang.
ages for the wound, and even the surgeon condo.
scended to prescribe for him.
At length the animal recovered his strength and
gayety, save that one of his hind paws dragged a
little, and the cicatrice still disfgured the shin.
lie was more tame and ailectionate than ever: but
the sight Of n cat was sufficient to throw his mas
ter into a parozysm Of rage, and, running after
the unIucky puss, he would, if possible, catch and
IQestroy her.
A great pleasure was in store FIR the convict
Thanks to his good conduct during the past four
years, his sentence Of Imprisonment for life had
been ommuted into twenty years, in which
were to be included the fifteen already spent in
prison.
Thank God! he cried under his mercy, it is
to Fine-Ear owe this happiness ? and he kissed
the. animal with transport. Five years still. re.
manned to lie passed in toilsome imprisonment
but they were cut short in an unlocked for man.
ner.
One day a mutinous party Of felons succeeded
in Selling a turnkey: and, having shut him up with
themselves in one Of the dormitories, they threat
ened to put him to death, if all their demands were
not instantly complied with, and q full amnesty
GRANTED Tor this revolt.
Einc-har's master, who had taken no part in
the uprcar, stood silently behind the officials and
soldiers, who were ready to fire on the insurgents,
just rs the attack was about to commence, he ap.
approached the chief superintendent, and said a
few words to him in a low tone of voice.
4 accept your Offer replied the governor. Re.
member you risk Your life but, if you succeed, !
pledge my word that you shall be strongly recon-
mended to the government for unconditional par.
don this very night
The convict drew forth Finc-Ear from his
bosom. kissed him several times and them. placinr
him within the vest of \ young fellow-prisonef,
with whom the rat was already familiar, he said,
in n broken voice.
IF | do not return, lie kind to him, and love him
as ] have loved him.
Then, having armed himself with nm enormous
bar of iron, he marched, with Il determined
step, to the dormitory, without regarding
the missiles which the rebels hurled at his head.
With Il few blows Of his bar, he made the door Nv
open, and, darling into the room, he overturned
those who opposed his entrance. threw down his
weapon, and, Selling the turnkey, put him, or
rather flung him, out safe and sound into the mas
sage.
While in the act Of covering the mans escane
from the Infatuated convicts, he suddenly fell to the
ground, bathed in blood. One Of the wretcbes
had lifted the iron bar, and struck down with IL
his heroic comrade.
He was carried dying to the hospital and, ere
ne Dreathed his last, he uttered one word it was
I'Eine-Earp w
Must | tell it? The rat appeared resitive and
unhappy for a few days but he soon forgot his
master, and began to testify the same affection for
his new owner that he had formerly shown to him
wEo was dead. w
Eine-Ear still lives, fas, and sleek and strong
indeed, he no longer fears his feline enemies, and
has actually succeeded in killing a full grown cat
and three kittens. But he no longer remembers
the dead, nor regards the sound of his masters
number, which formerly used to make him prick
up his ears, and run from one end of the court TO
the other. "..4
Does it only prove that rats, as we'll as men NAV
be ungratefulS Or is it a little illustration of tGGc
wise and merciful arrangement, that the world
must 20 on, die who will?