Ashtabula weekly telegraph. [volume] (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1853-1873, 1871-08-26
Flies.

been industriously nourishing their
strength and growing their claws. Two
claws make one foot six feet one hy
and all of them are now prepared for
hot days and their usual recreations.
With these claws properly sharpened,
they can touch the exact tip of a nerve
tor you, or go to the very bottom of the
finest wrinkle you have. These are their
objective.
One of the hottest days has come.
You are home from hard days work,
and the flies are glad to see you. They
are social little fellows, with unfailng
appeiites, aud when you have cooled off
little and are ready for dinner, thev
like to dine with you. They taste your
meat, they sup your gravy, try your
vegetables, enjoy your pudding, swarm
over your sugared berries, sip your
coffee and getting done little before
you, they wipe their fingers carefully on
your whiskers, rub their hands and their
bind legs briskly together, feel the tips
of their claws all round, and are quite at
your service.
They know well enough-what don't
they know that the dining-room is to
he darkencd, and that you are going
into the library to read your paper and
take nap. They slip out with you,
and are there before you. Without
drop of the slcepiness in their veins
which is soon to make you drunken, they
chase enc another through the air, in and
out, and round and round, at cross-tag
and tollow-leader, aud knock their heads
against the windows, and mix themselves
up in labyrinths of bizzy mirth, burst
ing now aud ;hen-did YOU hut know it
into ecstasies of fy-laughter at the
tho ught of the fun they are to have
with you.
If you read too long they get i'm
patient, and one will alight on your
head aud peer down, to see "where you
are" and depu,ation will soon after
crawl up to the edge of the paper aud
>lyly peer Into your eyes to see if you
are drowsy. They hum a lullaby about
your ears. They watch for the first
yawn and sure enough, here it comes
New Tor il,
They are off in flock to the lounge
and the window curtains abovei,. Again
hey rub their hands over and over each
other, and smooth down their wings,
and make frisky excursions into the air,
and alight and run about meeting each
other and exchanging signals, till at
last down you go, and up they fly again
in body. Hi what a mad time they
are having round the room while you
twitch about the cushions and twist
and nudge yourself into the right posi-
ton
Are you ready? So are we. Try
him, Tickle-toe ! Ticke-toe comes at
you silently, and alights on your hand,
sac out, claws in, so that you hardly
feel him. He makes a short, tickling
run, claws out, sac in, and you shake
him off, In an instant he is back again,
and runs over precisely the same ground.
You shake more vigorously. He comes
to that very spot again. Failing to
rouse You, he runs up to a ender place
between your fingers, and ,ickles there.
You strike AT him with the other hand.
He alights once more, and runs up your
wrist. You clutch at him, vigorously,
but he slips through your fingers, with a
ZIP like jeer Now he makes tor your
face. Alighting quietly, he makes his
approaches undsturbed, down the fore
| head, on to the bridge of the nose, and
creeping over cautiousl y, reaches a
charming spot on the inside corner of
your right eye. You are almost asleep.
Watched by his fellows, he draws his
fine claws lightly along, once, twice, no,
not the third time, it is intolerable. You
clap your hand on the spot, with force
that makes your head ache, and work
yonr knuckle into that corner as if you
would gouge your eye out-for the mis-
chievous rascal started up in good time
TO escape, and uckled you as he sprang
away, with all his twelve claws at once.
Good for Tickle-toe Now, Buzz
wing. Buzz-wing has no delicacy. He
busters. He loves to bully you. He
comes at you with rush, and flashes
about your head like shillalah at DonDy-
brook Fair. Drowsy as you are, you
blush at him with open hand. He knew
you would, and takes wide turn round
the room to have his noisy laugh out,
and tip the wink TO his comrads. Again
and again he draws you out, the last
time with an angry firt of the handker-
chief that brings down the house. Then
he rushes back with "Who's afraid ?''
and flies with tormenting little buzzes
from inch to inch round the edges OF
your hair, and on the spots where il is
thin, and at last bursts into the cave OF
your ear with "Hurrah, boys Come
on |" You box your ear with all the
strength there is in your arm, and Buzz
wing is of, delighted.
This is signal for the whole flock to
fall on. They alight all over your ex-
posed surfaces. There are tunnels up
your nose they are wild to explore.
There are the sensitive corners Of your
mouth, and delicate ridge around your
lips there are tender spots on the side
OF your neck, and ticklish piece on the
edge OF your ears, and nice bits about
the temples, and they know them all,
aud 60 Tor them, again and again, with
a tireless persistenoy that finally ex'
asperates you SO, that you spring to your
feet, wide awake, and determined to put
an end to it.
They knew you would. This is their
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