Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1856-02-22

strange tastes and stranger pets, aud when
once she was married she would give up her
researches in natural history, and settle down
into an excellent wife. ! was quito sick of
the simple old creatures iniatuaton and
apologies, and begged to be allowed to 60 to
bel
At last said to myself, on finding my
self alone in my room, Il shall have little
rrposs after the heat and burthen of the day,
after all my dangers and adventures So
tired WAS that | Immediately undrcssed,
blow out the lights, and sought my bed
Falling hacl. Tho clothes, stepped in and
much more hastily jumped out again. had
come upon some hard substance which moved
between tho sheets. If | was not greatly
mistaken, it was live tortoise. Whilst
delib,rated whether | should cry murder
sleep on the sofa, or dress and leave the house,
something bit my great toe with such yiO-
lencc that actually yelled with agony \
gigantic crawfsh chung to my foot. kicked
about in 50 desperate II manner that at last
shc,f the creature of, and heard it PC with
Il crack against the wall ] fled to the sofa
\ horrid thought assailcd me. What If
Frager, through absence of mind, had ushered
mo into Cken's museum and mepageric.-
This appeared to me the more probable that
on all sides | heard strange sounds, as if
numerous creatures were crawling, trotting,
singing, and humming arund me. Some
thing flow up to me with buzz and a bounce
and caught in my hair. | clutched at it,
and shuddcrcd as | found in my grasp a
beetle as hg sparrow. | dashed it
furiuusy from inc, and had the satisfaction
Of hearing it smash against some hard sub
stance. Scarcely was | rid of the beetle
when ! was bitten sharply in the calf of the
leg. | put down my hand, but the creature
/
smarting and irritation. knew not whcth-
er it was he or one of his friends who the
next instant made an onslaughter upon my
ankle began to hunt about for the match
box, that might at least see my enemies -
| sought in vain, and was quite unable to
conjecture the nature Of the monsters that,
during my search, pinchcd, bit, and stung,
a"d assaulted me in every conceivable mrnner
once or twice trod with my bare loot on
hldeous reptiles, whose cold Shiny touch
made me leap into the air My capers would
doubtless have diverted any one who saw
them, but to me it was no laughing matter.
\, marter OF ancient time or victim of the
r'"m-2T'r" ever suffered more than ana IN
that chilhpcr OF hOrrors' Inc monsters that
cpntrecltc on the bottom of the sea can hard
ly snrpsS IN variety the inmates OF that
room. The darkness and my excited imagi-
ly heard hiss. "A snake by all that :
horrible said to myself. about to coil
round and devOur me. And set up such
an internal Glamour, shouting and cursing,
like AJAX when wounded, that | must have
been audible halt II mile round the house.
70 adj to the turmoil, in my cagernesS to
escape from something which heard coming
after me with Il clapparing noise, upset the
table. Several large boxes which stood upon
1t We're opened by the lalI' and Immediately
perceived Il great increase OF anlmatlon
round me continued To storm Ike a luna
~ !, @ "'s a., Wv. ~ ."' "rp."er unyoouy
!" we "ouHD sup vi "o'' i"c uWiui ~"
NvlI ~ "o 'ass iono Wy 'I",,oe'Ioi WIZ
i,, US ~ a,' .I ~" ~ u
.'''',. ~ u '"'' ~ ~ 0'''' 81" ''o '"''' Vi
''1 ,''''"' '''''''
HING the girl ~ he cried she Will soon
iIil the whoie house with her geological col
lection
Int myself IN NINA oi pictures had seen
ot Ad1m on the sixth day oi the creation,
/ snrr"nhlel ny all manner OF beasts ana
: creeping t"lhgs. fraSer leu inc way 10 an
other room, Whlch as yet was not invaded by
Oxen yermln'
YOU nave nothing to lear here, sail my
hos' ana a'ded' true 10 mis- system OF making
t'' peSt ot every thihG' you VIII sleep all the
bettrr ior your NIUE ih'Stortnnes'
Heaven grant IL signed l. ana thought
tnat sAoGlI nave sept wen enough without
mem A'ter searching the "hoIe room, uh
"'r inc pc"' i',tue drawers auu closets' ana
satisfying myself that no specimens OF natu-
raj history either aliVe or dead were there
again GOT oe'"eeh the sheets-'hls time
Wl'hpu' ehcouh'er'nS tor'oise, put not tte
IcS7 delrrnll"eu u ny Nlesehtial ht COCK
crow W ~" t"ls ""olesohe resol'e stfetch-
Ell myself out ana went TO SieeP'a as presume
the tortoise dli IN the oed originally destined
Tor me-
Scarce had aurora, with her rosy fingers,
Hinged the hllI-top' ana oa'hea the pam IN dew
when | was a-foot and packing. Whilst thus
occupied, reflected that, under all the cir
cum.tances, French leave was decidedly the
best leave for me to take, otherwise | should
have a regular fight with Frager, who would
never let me depart. When halted for the
night. would write him a letter, telling him
that, with the best will in the world, | had
been unable to endure the eccentricities of
his charming daughters. | would put it to
him as gently as possible, so as not to hurt
his feelings, and felt sure that when he re-
lectcd on all had gone through under his
roof, he would not feel surprised at my alb
rupt departure, Nor could my uncle blame
me, when | told him of my tribulations and
related the conduct Of the three mad women.
Whilst ponderins all these things, com
plctcd my packing. | made sure that nobody
would be stirring in the house at that early
hour, and at any rate that the ladies would
be deep in their feather beds was deliber
atng whether should bravely shoulder my
portmanteau, or leave it to be sent after me-
when the door burst open, and to my immense
consternation, IN strobe Nimrod, brace Of
duclinI pistols IN her hand.