, 1873-09-14
4 KEGFUL OF CussED cOCKR0ACHEs.

18oo.s-Notcs and Queries.
AKEGFuL OF CussE0 cocKRoAcHEs.
have boon thinking Of tho matter for some
Gays, anu, at tue present writing am prepared
to assert, without roaeryo, that the cockroaoh in
tho moauest 'cuss /" in the kingdom. The
Roach is dihtinotivoly aud promcditasiyoly do
atruoaVe. Apparently innocent Of guile, with
thoao concealed roduotion.works Of his, whom
not employed In burrowing through biscuts in
tho pantry, and working up into nothing tho
waste dough in the broad-trough, no will natvely
attaok tho head Of ten-ponny nail, and, in
"lcsa than no tlmc," his mngic grinders hayo
diyostod the iron Of ita rust, and taken tho head
of tho nail for toll. Tho old Metropolitan Hotel
WAS tho nourco from which sprang tho now nut
morouB family Of cockroaehes. Tho onco hal
loved proclneta Of that old manor-houso aro now
extinct, and tho DESCENDANTS Of tho first fanily
increase and multiply In strange quarters.
It would bo too tedious, although not perhaps
entirely uHeloss, to roto1l again OF como OF tho
miraculous and high1y-amusjng escapos effected,
on that memorable night OF tho fro, by Bono Of
tho Roach family from the old hotel; how nome
wore caught in tho Washington street tunnel
whom tho gas went ont, and we're trampled to
death, shilo vainly endoavoring to get nway to
tho Woat Side with favorte apuon-cleBt or
bread-tray; nor do I caro- to uako any copious
extracts from volume Of "Reminiscences
virtues Of the II Ponsion."
Who docs not call to mind various times
whom, eoasod in lonely compartment of his
lodglng-houso. perusing MI old newnpnpor
grown ycllow and dingy, but guile interesting
for tho momont, By nge, lie has boen atartlod By
tho appearance Of Il frisky Roach, whioh iByucl
from q crack Thought to be 20 narrow that a
knife-blado would not ontcr it, and. with 70
ettnnozterIng air. snwept hls limited ed, horizon
high above his hoad aH it to uay, "Tho
coast is olear,'" confidently strasglsd forth,
snd camo to halt at hearing tho ratt1e Of the
aud scrapos his noae along the crack. and pretty
soon. at intervals OF an inch, along tho side
board, there peor out numerous other noses nud
horns. Then, what rushing up aud down. dis
appearing and coming forth. Soon tho wall ia
black, and tho spectator fools q twingo. Tho
imagination doos it's work. There is Quo Of tho
nasty things on you. Upl And all'a NJ blank
al though there wore no noechos in exasonco.
onco oallod at house where, III tho miist Of
conversations that to me waB very interesting 1
noted apecular angry glare to mar tho beauty
Of the lady present; her little hand suddeuly
olutehod tue invisible air; strange fro
pat In sstonishmeut, her optics
wandered to d far corner Of the room. Bho re-
naincd Tor III inatant poised az cat whom about
~ bPIlDE upon u luGkleah mouse then, with
the rapiehty Of tho folno, she dashed acr1sa the
carpet, and hor fairy foot fell! upon something
that thought snapped or exploded.
;, :" There T. " 81, She saId, and heayed sigh Of re-
amazed, I was not woll acquainted in tho city
ct tho time, and hope my astoniBhmoat WAS OK
cusaDlo. waB afraid to break the SILENCE that
ens.ud' and in,, alo oamo to my reseae With tho
aoing, remark, :" Woll, ri, ahead ii Nei, now /"
soon learned that Hlo and her Hlstols l.ad taken
upon themselves tAo Quixotic tnak OF riddng
tito promiBca Of those pesty knights, tho Cock-
thon as to who should provo tho greater van
quishcr.
Ny special attention haa latoly been cnllod to
this subject Of 1loaches, az before lo,narkod
olice With kog full Of What 1t glance sup
posed to bo Hatornalou-seods Ny mind in
stantly REQUIRED to tuo distant maiOn-iieds Of
my youth, and the nightly foraging raids wo
and the CARROT in which We used to destroy our
plunaer, storing away tho aeeds IN an adjacont
nail-keg. Boon having timer" Hnid I. IIo
looked frightened, for I Baw he had been drink
the n,elon-neeas. "Naw, sur. Thcoo il pon,o Of
thin diyils what cats up oil tho boys' pouois."
"Wlat are they2 Whero did you got them 2"
"swoop' 'om up, sur" And out he went with
stopped into the Office and thero the affair
whs explained to me. Tho cockroaches, the
clerks said wero. growing numerous that it
was only quoRtion OF time whether they drove
thom (the mem from the office, or should bo
esxtingnishcd. So thiR had beon tho result Of
tho janitor's investigation among the drawers
and hle.casee,- keg Of 'watormolon-seel
paid for tlo cigars for tho crowd. Guinness
WAS for tho time suspended, and, while no
smoked, tho ' boya rontod aomo OF tho stories
Of tho doprodations Of thcso lttlo vlllniuH. The
red-and-blun lead-peucils which wero aharpened
in tho evening for tho noxt days l,Bo, wero dis
covered to bo oatou Of to The socket, aud some-
timcs even further; tho mucilago On tho scnls
for bonds they had liokol OF until
tho seals wonldp't stick without . re-
in1orcon,ens Of gum. a sponge that
had not boon used Tor aon,e timo, vaa found to
10 nost OF the "yarmints," ald tho interior of
tho sponge was eaten ont completely. We jokcd
tho bond-clerk not = ltt1o about licking tho hoas
for hs bonds, and, upon investigation, found
that stock Of ink-eTaHors that had boon laid
away had boon deprived Of their edges by those
Roschos, while tho little fc]owa were in 4 peu-
sise mood. We had heard OF files having boon
gnanod but the fnct thnt stoe-erassr could
furnish nourialsncnt to any Of Gods creaturcs
remained to bs discovered By Cocaroach.
6N1vELY