The New Orleans crescent. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1866-1869, 1869-04-04

From Chsmbers' Journal
Baby John WAS not baby at all, bat the Ksfr
corruption Of the Dutch for our English ba5oon.
Baby johns fellow Of Infinite jest, Of a most
excellent fancy"-was my tame baboon.
When become possessed Of this treasure was
living in Pistermaritzburg. the capital of Port
Natal, South Africa place which previously
unknown to most stay home EngIshmen, has
recently acquired quite celebrity as the abode
of Bishop Colenso and his Zulu tutor in divinity.
In a suburb of this town had a little bachelors
cottage, where lived with naked Kafr as my
henchman, and cultivated the acquaintance of the
brute creation. Of which / had a collection which
made gardening out of the question. laid out
or rather left alone my little domain to be O min
iature mensgerie and Of all living things to grace
II ! coveted bsboon. Now Baby John was an
established favorite at hotel In the town, bat
the proprietor became bankrupt. and on the sale
of his assets became the delighted purchaser Of
his pet.
Arrived at home, my first care was to lodge
Baby John for the night, till could secure him
properly ia the morning. Among his native rocks
and wilds his genius might have found q
thousand ways of diverting itself; but being
in captivity Baby John was wont to employ
the whole powers Of his mind in the devsing and
the whole powers Of his body in the preparation
Of mischief. Like shakspeare's Don John, /" any
bar. any cross, any impeachment. was medicinsble
TO him." For the fret night tied him to post
in the versnda. He had bit of bread aud halfa
sleep, as thought for the night. Early in the
morning, was awakened BY loud Explanations
and CULTURAL "wsughsl" from my Kafr, and, on
proceeding TO learn the cause, discovered Baby
John. though 1t wss barely light. at work with
zeal worthy of better cause. He had pulled up
all the tiles forming the pavement Of the verands
within bis reach. broken all he could aud thrown
the rest away. When came to interrupt his pas
time, he was hard ct work on the house-wan, pick
ing out the mortar with his long, lean fore-fnger.
he had already removed two or three bricks, aud
bsde fair TO make q considerable excavation in an
hour or two. Without stopping for moment in
his work, he was making most disbocal grimaces
whenever the Ksfir approached him.
Next tied bin up In :. grove 9. oyringa trees.
Here he wsged war sgainsi sl passengers. Threat.
eD:ng, cbatteTing, screaming. showing his teeth,
wriDIinR his brows and exhibiting his white eye.
brows Ill he seemed as If he was being worked
stopped all passage. Once or twice he laid
aubuscades by conceang himself on
bough and incontinently dropping on the head
Of any one passing beneath. Next fastened
him to a tree in hedge, where he could do no
possible harm. But here again his talent for aR-
buscades was so conspicuous that heard screams
all day long. His % custom of an afternoon was
10 lie enugly concealed at the top Of the hedge;
and when any one approached unsuspectingly on
the road, Baby John would launch himself at his
or her head; and though always brought up by his
chain still, TO say the least Of It, the totally unex
pected spparition of flying baboon was trying to
the nerves.
of Baby John, was favored with visit from
my landlord. found this gentleman standing ia
he garden, within easy reach of Babby John,
whose thoughts, however, were apparently like
sat with his back 10 us. picking his teeth With a
thorn. Beg pard'n, sir, said my landlord,
"but I've been asst 20 call by several parties
respectin' that there hape, which he carries on TO
that extent, sir, what with athroWin' Of hsselI at
a. ~.rko .urtfo - utxI and
maxim of them there ojous faces, as well he
knows how, specially at female parties. when
female parties is a-passin'. that - gemni!
help! murder ~ A sound blow with q stick dis.
lodged Baby John from the terrified orators
shoulders, and prevented laudeble design be
had conceived of pulling up that gentleman's
whiskers by the roots. Many were my apologies,
and promised that for the future Baby John
should lead perfectly secluded life.
now began to feel had most unmsnsgeable
pet in Baby John. and to think that if those
ancient mariners Of Solomon. who, in company
with the navy OF Hiram, went to Tarshish for apes
and peacocks. returned with cargo Of Baby
Johns, truly they had but wearisome passage
home.
Determined to place Baby John where he
would be entirely harmless, l found q vacant
space at the back q my cottage, and there fixed
apole in the ground TO which | fastened Baby
John and INDUCED him with a chain of eighteen or
twenty feet IN length. slso furnished him with
an old tin packing case, which might serve him a.
. shelter by night, an umbrella by day. and
shield wherewith 20 shelter his ugly face when any
visitor took fancy to throw stones at him. The
heritage In the tpot had selected was rank and
luxuriant, and Baby John when placed 10 his
new abode was entirely lost for time TO external
observation. The novelty OF his situation and the
variety of occupation suddenly thrust upon his
hands at first seemed almost 10 bevilder him.
But soon recovering his presence Of mind. he de-
voted himself to q thorough survey OF his premi.
ses. AT least | supposed 80. judging from the
eonstsn movement In the grass and the occasional
appartioB of q green arched back, when he gave
q kind of "buck jump" TO express his light heart
edpess. His next duty was, IS became a colonial
settler to make clearing. This he accomplished
In the most wofkmanlike manner In the space Of
few days. grubbiDg up most Of the grass by the
roots and in q wonderfully short time causing bis
domain to appear ss bare ss turnpike road.
He did not. however, In the course Of his prsc-
teal labofs neglect the duties of q ssvant. II
was clear that all insect life was TO be inquired
into and banisbed, and accordingly very few
beetles or smaller insects Of any kind escaped
philosopher is without his weakness y q
superstition on the subject OF lizards, snd,
when be met one. scresmed and made faces at 1t
till it retired. All the frogs and tosds he saw
removing thick tuft OF grass he discovered
snake; then his terror knew no bounds; II was by
turns abject and frantic. He few round his pole
till be rtsembled Q frework, and tugged ct his
chain till IL snapped; when free, he rushed into
The house. and sought shelter under my bed.
Extracted from this hiding place by the tail. be
chung with the most sunocsting fondness to my
neck; nor till be was satisfied that the snake was
really gone, could be be induced to retarn to his
Baby John frequently broke loose from his
and stronger chains; some psrt-the staple.
staple. the buckle. or weak link--vould In time
yield to the efforts prompted By the thoughts OF