Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1872-02-28
Our Southern Guest.

Chummy and [ were at home. Chum-
nv was stretched upon the lounge I'M
der the gaslight, and I was snoozing
with my feet against the steam pipes
when the e1press-man came in with
the box
What funny-looking little box it
was, all bound about with strong Irvine
and punched full of little holes How
we wondered what it contained In a
moment the string was cut and the box
opened.
Chummy drew back with a shudder,
and | too was somewhat alarmed, for
there upon our table was as jaeU-ly q
brute as we had ever seen, it was d
little alligator, eight inches long, agile
as cricket, and tough as pine knot :;
sent all the way from lake in North
Carolina to Jersey by express. How
soon we became acquainted He had
rot been with US for more than twenty
four hours before the baser -1ropensi
ties of his nature began to appear, and
upon further development we became
convinced that he must be distantIy
related to the monkey tribe.
We hastily constructed little aquar-
ium, and placed it against the steam
pipes upon the top of q piano-stool,
with the expectation that Allie would
amnse himself aud US by rolling around
IN the mud and the water, or by sun
ming himself upon float. And, in
deed, he e00utd do so as long as we
were looking at him; but the very
moment our backs were turned, Allies
nose would rise above the side of the
aquarium, two brilliant little eyes
would peep cautiously around, out
would come first one paw and then an
other, until at last he would perch him
self entirely one Of water, upon the side
OF his habitation, his tail vibrating in
md ar, causing him to appear about
as ridiculous as one Of Mr.. Hawkins
indian elephants. All at once he would
tail to the floor like lump of dough,
invariably landing upon his nose, and,
after shaking himself into proper
shape, would put his head along side
OF the mann steam-pipe, and speculate
upon the nature of the many queer
things he saw about him.
He insisted upon doing lust as he
pleased, and seemed determined to az
quaint himself with everything about
our apartm ents Immediately upon his
advent. There was not a corner Ia our
rooms with which he was not familiar
nor single old shoe in which he han
not slept. Generally he was under onr
feet, under our rockers, or in our hats
though sometimes he would be MISSING
Tor day or two, when eventually he
would be found snugly curled up in
some cast-off slipper, or else in the bot
tom OF the waste paper basket.
he was shrewd, too, awful shrewd
ana 1t was impossible to get the best of
h!m. You could pick him up, hold
nm IN the palm of your hand, and he
would lie there as motionless as a
Dutch doughnut, but all the while he
would be devlsing some means to get
your torehnger IN his mouth. He was
IN some respects highly sensitive. too
You could tread on him. rock on him
or throw him up against the wall. and
he would show the greatest patience
and the most commendabIe resiona-
tlon but the very instant you attempts.
ed to grasp him by the front Law he
would lash his tail and fight desperately
for MS independence.
We will never forget how astonished
he was upon our lighting parlor
match. As we entered our room one
night, Allie was seen over in the cor
ner, in array of moonlight which stream
ed over the floor At the crack of the
match and the glare of the light, Allie
was astounded, and, rising himself up
on his front paws, regarded us with
look of wonder. As we touched the
gas, and as the room became suddenly
aagiow he raised himself "upon all
tours, and extended his jaws, as if to
say. BY JoYe old boy, you have the
shortest nights up here that I ever ex-
Pefleneed. His love for light amount
e e l. 20 passion, for where the sunshine
leil brightest, where the gaslie hit
stfeamed richest, was has place
AliIe was never satisfied with simplv
noticing things; his happiness was
only complete when he had examined
everything to the most minute detail |
he was lot content with going orom,ad
thing he must go over it. under Il
IN 1t Il possible. At, times when he was
exceedingly troublesome for us to keen