Charles City Republican intelligencer. [volume] (Charles City, Iowa) 1861-1864, 1864-02-18

4 ~
thing you could bring me would be
acceptable I" ass st"7s
He looked gratifed, and said he
would fetch it over the next day.
waited with the greatest impatience.
What could it be I Cousin Bella
Hayne from New York, who was Wis
iting us. said it could be no less thar
a camel's hair shawl but papa in
sisted that it must be either a way
doll or new edition of Cock Robin
translated from the original.
Well, it came the next day. Char.
lie brought it over. And what was
it? Why, the blacklist little monkey
that you ever set eyes on .eEsot
Cousin Bella few from the room
like a lunatic, upsetting the what-not,
with all my pretty curiosities, and
overturningtw two chairs and an ottoman,
in her frantic haste. a9a" ."-
My favorite cat put up her back,
and went round and round the new
acquisition, uncertain whether to re-
gard the whole affair as a joke, or a
serious matter, requiring her growls
to make it legal. OF 03 ~ @ai I.."s
was surprised first then delight.
ed. l had heard SO many funny sto-
ries of the doings of monkeys, that l
anticipated a continual fund of amuse.
ment from the tricks of my Shylock-
that was his name-and | thanked
Charlie SO much. that the fellow actu.
ally came to the conclusion that he
had done good thing by importing
that monkey. ..@.n -. . "
His ship sailed a week afterward,
and was left in undisputed posses.
sion of Shylock. At that epoch the
trials of my life began. ."
My Precious Pet soon grew attach.
ed to me, in his own peculiar way,
but he never yielded single freak to
my wishes. / might as we'll have
tried to get obedience from the north.
wind as from him. He seemed espe-
cially delighted with doing just what
would irritate me the most. The lit.
tie rascal knew, evidently, that, let
his transgressions be ever SO broad,
his punishment would be light
Nothing in the house was safe from
his inquiring disposition. He filed
my bureau-drawers with frogs that
hoped into my face evcrytime ven-
tured to search for any article | want
ed--frightening me half out of my
wits. He put cookie buttons" into
my bed !; pinned rags and strings to
my dresses ; scented himself with my
costliest perfumes, and brushed his
head with my hair-brushes.
He and the cat were, singular
ly enough, very good friends-though
Shylock never scrupled to box her
ears, soundly, if she displeased him.
To the neighborhood he was at once
a nuisance and an amusement. Al
most everybody was afraid of him,
but still they liked to see his comical
tricks played off on somebody else.
i. One autumn evening the Sewing
Society met at our house. Elder
Busby, good old man, celebrated for
his long-winded prayers, was present !;
of course Elder Busby must pray, and
We all resigned ourselves to be mar
tyrs for the next two hours. .....
Shylock was in the room when the
petition began, and knew by the ex-
preston of his little black face that
mischief was brewing. Directly, he
slid from the room, and l would have
followed had not courtesy forbidden.
Elder Busby would never forgive me
if | left the room while he was pray
ing. But sat on nettles. / expect
ed something dreadful could not
guess what. Mother nudged me to
keep qniet, and papa frowned at me
over suppressed yawn and Miss
Periwinkle, who was popularity sup
posed to have designs on the widowed
heart of Elder Busby. gave utterance
to an audible groan at my degener-
acy. 4tu.
Just as the elder had consigned us
all to everlasting perdition, modified
by certain sectarian conditions, Ia
proceeding, by-the-way, which he al
ways seemed to take particular de-
light in, there was a singular rum
bling, shufiing sound in the direction
Of the chimney--we had an open fire.
place. Another second, and down the
flue. in a cloud of SCOT and ashes, came
black and white fluttering object,
that recognized as mothers Shang-
hae rooster. obtained by her at con-
siderable trouble and expense. smus
The music that came from the poor
birds throat was most terribly indes-
cribable, and the audience were fright
ened ont Of all sense of decorum. The
women shrieked-the men looked
around for their hats, and the celesti-
al visitant. thinking, probably, that
the freight was the daybreak, hop.
ped upon the bald head Of the elder
and crowed Justify. @aaa7 t9
The elder sprang to his feet, gave
one look at the bold intruder, and, hat
less as he was, fed from the house, to
which he did not return that night
Miss Periwinkle tainted and honest
but bungiing John Jones got her ev
erlasting enmity by fiinging some
cold water in her face. which washec
the paint off, and left her fair skir
three shades darker than usual.
i | managed to explain things, q
last the monkey was at the bottom
: of it !; and very soon he made his ap
: pearance, meek and innocent. but will
/ here and there suspicious featheI
sticking in his wool. ~
The next day Dr. Huntom, an ad
> mirer of my sister Clara, called. Tn
r doctor was man of thirty-five or fol
v ty, remarkably young-looking, an
| possessing the most abundant hair G
+ any one have ever seen. "a
/ was sitting in the recess Of th
0 parlor, and the visitor failed to oil
!, serve me-but, not considering
b worth while to show myself, / WEI
on with my book.
81 The passionate tones of the doctor
voice arrested my attention, and war
e cd me that | had better be some whel