Baton Rouge tri-weekly gazette & comet. [volume] (Baton Rouge, La.) 1865-18??, 1865-09-30
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THE RAT.--No other animal is placed in
circumstances which tend so continually
to sharpen its wits as the rat; nor does any.
other appear to be Of a more improbable
nature. He is Of d most intelligent family,
being related TO the beaver. And in civ
ilized countries he rs not wild creature;
for he follows the progress of civilization,
and adapts his own habits of life to. it,. 80
as to avail himself Of its benefits. The
"pampered goose,n who, in Pope's Essay,
retorts upon man, and says that man was
made for the use Of geese, must have been
forgetful OF plticking time, as we'll rs ig-
norant Of the rites that are celebrated IN all
old fashioned families on st. Mlchael's
day. But tho rat might, with more APP
parent reason, support such an assertion.
lie is not mistaken in thinking that corr
stacks are lis much for his use as for tho
farmers; that barns and granaries are his
winter Magazines; that the miller is his
acting partner, the cheese monger his
purveyor, and the store keeper his stew
ard. He places himself in relation TO man,
not as bis dependent, like the dog, nor
like the cat as his ally, nor like the sheep
as bis property, nor like the OK as his serv-
ant, nor like the horse and ass, his slave,
nor Hike tho poultry who are TO "come and
be killed" when Mrs. Bond invites them;
but as his enemy-a bold borderer,
Johnny Armstrong or Rob Roy, who ac-
knowledges no right Of properly in others,
who lives by spoil.
Wheresoey er man goes rat follows, or ac-
companies him. Town or country are
equally agreeable to him. lie enters your
house as tenant at will, CHS own, not
yours), works ont for himself covered
way in your walls, ascends by it from one
story to another, and leaving You the
larger apartment, takes possession of the
space between floor and ceiling, as an en-
tresol for himself. There he has his par
ties and reveIs gallopades, (merry ones
they are) when you would be asleep, if it
were not for the spirit with which. the
youth and bellies of ratland keep up the
ball over your head. And you are more
fortunate than most Of your neighbbrs, if
he does not prepare for himself mauso-
leum behind your chimney piece or under
your hearthstone; retire into it when he is
about to die, and very soon afford you full
proof that though he may have lived like
q hermit, his relics are not in the odor Of
sanctity. You have an additional comfort
of knowing that the spot 80 appropriated,
will henceforth be used either as o COM
mon cemetery, or family vault. In
this respect as in many others, nearer
approaches are made to us by inferior
creatures than are dreampt Of IN our
philosophy.
The adventurous merchant ships cargo
for some distant port; rat goes with it.
Great Britain plants colony in Botany
Bay, Van Dieman's Land, or at the Swan
River; rat takes the opportunity of colo
nizing also. Ships are sent upon avoyage
Of discovery; rat embarks as o volunteer.
He doubled the stormy cape with Diaz, ar
rived at Malabar in the first European yes
sel with Cana, discovered the New World
with Columbus, and took possession Of it
at the same time, and circnmnavigated the
globe with Magellan and with Drake, and
with Cook. --,S0utlsey.