The Opelousas journal. [volume] (Opelousas, La.) 1868-1878, 1871-12-02
The NutCrackers Of Nutcracker
Lodge.
A STORY FOR GENLUSES.

Mr. and Mrs. Nutcgackor were as
respectable pair Of squirrels as ever
wore gray brushes over their backs
They were animals of q serious anC
settled turn Of mind, not disposed tt
run after novelties, but filing THEN
station in life with prudence and so
briefly.
Nutcracl1er Lodge was a hole in a
sturdy old chestnut, overhanging q
shady dell, and was held to be as
respectfully kept all establishment as
there was in the whole forest. Even
Miss Jenny Wren, the greatest gos
sip of the neighbordood, never found
fault with it's arrangements, and old
Parson Too;Whit, a venerable owl.
who inhabited branch somewhat
more exalted, as became his profess
sion, was in the habit of telling his
Darishioners q to look at the Nut
crackers" if they wanted to see what
it was to live a virtuous life.
Everything had gone on prosper.
ously with them, and they had reared
many successive families Of young
Nutcrackers, who went forth to take
their places in the forest Of life, and
to reflect credit on their bringing up,
so that naturally enough they began
to have an easy way OF considering
themselves models Of wisdom. Bit
at last they had a son named Feath-
erhead, who was destined to bring
them a great deal of anxiety. No.
body knows what the reason is, but
the fact was that Master Feather
head was as different from all the
former children of this worthy couple
as if he had been dropped out of the
moon into their nest Young Feath-
erhead was a squirrel OF some smart
ness but he was sulky, and contrary,
and unreasonable, and always found
matter of complaint in everything
his respectable papa and mama did.
Instead of assisting i'll the cares of a
falnily-picking up nuts, and learn
ing other lessons proper toa young
souirrel--he seemed to have, from
his earliest years, a sort of lofty con-
tempt for the Nutcrackers, of Nut
cracker Lodge, and for all the good
old home-like ways of the domestic
hole, which he declared to be stupid
and unreasonable, and entirely be-
hind the times. To be sure, he was
always On hand at meal times, and
played a very lively tooth on the
nuts which his mother had collected,
always selecting the very best for
himself; buthe seasoned his nibbling
| with so much grumbling and discon-
tent, and so many severe remarks,
as to give the impression that he con-
sidered himself Il peculiarly ill-used
squirrel in having to "eat their old
grub," as he called it. Papa Nut
| cracker, Oh these occasions, was
often fercely indignant, and poor
little Mama Nutcracker would shed
tears and beg her darling to be a
little more reasonable, but the young
gentleman seemed always to consider
himself the injured party.
Now, nobody could tell why Mas
ter Featherhead thought himself ag-
grieved, since he was living In good
hole, with plenty to eat, and with
out the least care or labor of his own;
but he seemed rather to value him
self upon being gloomy and dissatis
fed. While his parents and broth
ers and sisters we're cheerfully racing
up and down the branches, busy in
their domestic tolls. and laying up
stores for the winter, Featherhead
sat gloomily apart, declaring himself
at liberty to quarrel with everybody
and everything about him. Nobody
understood him, he said; he was
squirrel Of peculiar nature, and nee
ded peculiar treatment; and nobody
treated him in a way that did not
crate on his feelings. He had higher
notions Of existence than could be
bounded by that old rotten hole in a
hollow tree, he had thoughts that
SCARED far above the miserable petty
details Of every day life; and he
could not and would not bring down
these soaring aspirations to the con-
temptible toll of laying up d few
chestnuts or hickorynuts for winter.
"Depend upon it, my DEAR" said
Mrs. Nutcracker, solemnly; "that
fellow must be a genius"
"Fiddlesticks, On his genius -
said old Mr.. Nutcracker. "What
does he do?" " -
ooh, nothing, of course; that's one
of The first marks of genius. Geni-
uses, of course, never can come down
to common life" 81" ~. .@ H."
"He eats enough for any two"
remarked old Nutcracker, "and he
never helps gather nuts.' - IL
"My dear, ask Parson Too Wit !;
he has conversed with him, and quite
agrees with me that he says very
uncommon things for squirrel of
his age; he has such fine feelings !;
so much above those of the common
crowd" ...r .-a ....... IS. 81
1Fine feelings, be hanged!" said
old Nutcracker. "When q fellow
eats all the nuts that his mother
gives him, and then grumbles at her,
I don't believe much in his fine feel
ings. Why don'the set himself about
something? I'm going to tell my
| fine young gentleman that if he
doesn't behave himself I'll. tumble
him out of the nest, and see if hun