Lamoille newsdealer. [volume] (Hyde Park, Vt.) 1860-1877, 1869-09-07
A Bear Story.


"Our Boys and Girls" gives the fol-
lowing account of the antics Of bear:
He was captured when little cub, and
was brought up by hand as one of the
family. He claimed the warmest place
on the hearthstonc, and nestled in cold
weather with the dogs before the fire
None Of the pet animals about the farm
were tanner than he, and none better loved
to climb up into his masters lap and re-
ceive his caress, or understood Une ghirns
of his mistress when begging for choice
morsel. os
He was of a prying disposition, ahd for'
ever peepiug into every hole, 50 the fami-
ly were obliged to lock up everything,
even the closets where they kept clothing.
If hen cackled when an egg was laid,
Mr.. Bear understood it; and if he was
not prevented, he would very soon find
and suck it before the cackling fowl had
ceased her song. ..r ..,.l. ao..
One Sunday the family went to church
end left the bear alone at home. Bruin
improved the opportunity and rumaged
all over the house in search of fun or
something to eat.
Unfortunately the good housewife had
left the cellar-door unlocked and ajar !;
AMI it was not long before the bear dis
covered it and crept down stairs.
Once down in the cellar, he espied the
molasses barrel and if there was any,
thing in the house he was fond of, it was
molasses or honey.
Bruin paved over the barrel, licked
the tightly driven bung, and was about
abandoning it in despair, when he espied
the spile. Grasping it with his strong
teeth, he easily withdrew it, and cut came
the molasses in stream, to the great de-
light of the bear, who clapped his mouth
to the hole and sucked away with grunts
of seIfsatistaction.
The molasses still flowed, and still the
bear kept his mouth to the orifce, paus-
ing now and then to take breath. At last
he was full his stomach cnnla hnld ~
more; yet his appetite was not satisfied.
He squatted on his launches and viewed
the still running stream with disgust, to
think that the supply was so abundant, and
that, alas! he could hold no more. The
molasses had now run out in large quanti-
ty, and had formed great pool on the
floor; but Bruin dove into it, and
rolled himself thousand times in the
thick fluid until his shaggy coat, from his
nose to his tail, was covered with moasses,
dirt and gravel.
There he caroused in the sweet pool, as
cats roll and tumble IN held OF catnlp
herb All at once Mr.. Bear became sick
at the stomach! And it was new SEN
sation to hin--something he had never
felt before.
AS he grew worse, he thought of his
master and mistress, and crept up stairs
to ask their consolation but they had
not returned from church. Then he crawl
ed up another story, and got into the girls
bed, drawing the snowy white sheets over
his besmeared form. They he lay groan-
ing and grunting, the sickcst bear ever
seen by any anybody in that part Of the
country.
When the girls arrived, they were hor'
rifed at the scene, and were going to lay
the broomstick over Bruin, when he start
ed on the run for the haymow, with the
sheets sticking to his back. 1t was some
time before the bear got well, and still
longer before his mistress would forgive
him.