, 1873-07-20
AN AUTHORS PETS,

birds and bonBts; for no adorcd animals. Ser
wants. boing part Of ones own individuality,
hardly count as society; his negro lad, Alexis,
spoiled aud lazy, might bo taken IA belonging to
ono Or tho other.
Dumna animals cnmo into his possession In alt
aorta Of ways, tho whloh to relate would DO too
long. Like Adam, ho fitted them all with
names. Ho had threo monkeys; ono called
after celebrated translator, tho other after
an illuBtrioua novelist; tho third, fomale apo,
represented an aotreBs then at tho zonth Of hcr
popularity. French juriRts hold that tia vic
privoo dolt etro muroe," private lifo onght to DO
incloscd with wall; the exact aobriquots Gun
not therefore bio given, boing founded either on
personal resemblance or tho details of personal
history. Wo will call tho translator Potich, the
novelist tho Last Of tho Lhidmanoirs, and tho
lady apo Madomoisello Dosgarcins.
All journeys, long OF short, are oortain to af-
ford two rleasuros-tho pleasure Of starting, and
tho pleasure OF getting home again. Tho pleag-
uro OF tho journey itself Ia much moro preca-
rioug.
Dumas had roturnol from fatIguing Journey.
Ills old frionds, tho furniture, gave him vol
come which he repaid with smilos. But an easy
ohair, cloao to the fireplace, displayed an un-
TWontod occupant. Tho seat was filed with
DO cat, =,
:. ,,sl.aa MAisdsms Lamsrsgn9ol"-ahe was cook
-, ~ wss aTare that Monsienr had arrived" she
and Monsieur, who Is cook limaolf, knows how
onsily thego blanquettoa turn. ought also to
Introduce our little foundling; I waa auro Mon
sieur would consent to adopt him."
"And where did you find tho foundltng
Madame Lamarquo?"
"In tho cellar, crying hNaou, miaoul' OK
actly like . deserted child: What namo will
Monsieur ploaac to give him7"
=" Mysouff tho Second II that suits you. Only,
Madame Lamarquo. pray tako good caro- that liz
and my turtlo.doves, and oil tho roat.'
"No fear Of that; ho'a as innocent as a lamb,
to cats meat. But WITH Monaleur's loavo, WHIT
does does Myaouft mean7 Is it eata na1no, like
'tcortnin1y; to make Mysoun tho Second,
thero m,tst leyo boon Mysoulf tho First
And Du1nas fell into . fit Of muaing which
MADAME Larnarquo did not choose to disturb.
The mention Of that namo MyaouR had car-
riod Ills thoughts back full fifteen years. His
mother was at that timo living. Ho had st1ll the
hnppiuogs to be scoldod, now and then, by a
mother. Ho filed a clerks place, nntlor tho
DUO d'orloans Qouis Philippo], which brought
him IN 50u francs year, and occupied his tima
from, 10 Til 8. They lived in tho Rue do l'Ouest
aud they had cat called Mysour, which ought
Eyory morning, Dumas loft homo nt hs1f-past
o,-it waH half m hours walk from tho Rup do
IOueBt to the Office in the Rte st, Honore, No.
2l9,-and every afternoon ho returned home ut
paniod his maator as fur as tho lluo do Vaugi-
rard; aud every afternoon ho won't and waited
Tor Linn at tho Ruo do Vaugirard. Those were
his litnita; ho never went IN inch further. As
soon ms ho caught night Of his naator, he swept
tho pavement With his tail; At his nearer ap-
proAch. ho roso on atl-fours, with arching back
and tail erect. Whom Dumas eet foot in tho 1suo
do rOucat, tho cat jumped to his knees aH dog
ton PAGES, ho lod tho way to Tie house. ii
twenty PAGES from the house, lo ect off at gal-
lop, aud two seconds afterward the expoutant
mother appeared at the door.
The most curious circumstance was, that
whonevcr by chance any temptation caused Du-
mas to neglect lis mother'a dinner hour, 1t was
unoless for her to open the door Mysoufr would
not stir from his cushion. But on tho day when
open tie door, h1ysouH scratched it till sio lot
him out. Consequently. eho called MyaouH hor
barometer 1t was Set Fair when Dumas camo
home to di,nor Raln or Wind whom ho was ab-
sent.
There WAS garden party OF four or flvo in-
tinlatos, comprising Maquot. tho romance-writor,
Giraud, tho painter, aud Alexandra Dumas the
son. Alexis, tho spoiled and lazy African, had
consented 5 to bring trny with three or four
water.
"TWsnf ss ssia 4 As1e5s'snre A. 1T havo an idea"
" To make MademoiHe1lc DesgarciuH unoork
tho soda-wntor."
And, without waiting for loayo to bo givon, he
laid tho bottle on the floor OF tho monkeys cage,
In the position Of a cannon rosting on Its car
riago. II Curious as an apo" tho saying goos.
occupants, headed by tie lady, sat in committee
on tho bottle. She Immediately comprehonded
that tho clue to the Bocret lay in tho four strings
TINT crossed the cork. Fingers falling, she tried
her teeth, and in fow minutes hadb bitten through
tho two uppermost strings. To got at tho other
two, Potich and tho Last Of the Laitlmanoirs
adroit1y turned tho bottle hAtf round. The third
string cut, aho attacked the fourth. As the ope-
ration advanced, its interest Increased. The
spectators watched tho approaching denouemcnt
quite as attontively aa the actors. -
At last camo tho terrible dotonation. Made
moisol1e DeRgArcinB was knocked hcels-over-
hond and drenchod with efferveacont water,
bounded to the ceiling and clung to it with piorc
ing Hcreams. The tragi-comio parody Of human
emotions was too 1aughable to be beloved with
out boing seen.
Aesandro, k & Ito y let t Mademoisollo Desgsscins
open second bottle"
Nlalemoiuolle picked herself up. shook horsolf,
and Joined her companions aloft. where they
hung by. their tails like chandeliers, sending
again !" said Giraud.
:" Ma foi /" aail Maqnot; "I shouldn't be sur
prisel, Curiosity, with thom, is still s.rongor
than fear"
"Tleyl" ohimcd in Michel tho gardener, who
considered Dumas collection OF animals as kept
for hle (Michols) own private amusement.
"Theyl They are as obstinate ~ mules, and
will uncork as many bottles Of Hola-wator IS
you like to give them, Monaiour knows how
they are caught in their cwn conntry?"
No, Michel"
Monsieur doesn't know that!" exclaimed
Michel, plying his masters Ignorance. ''At
least, Monsieur knows they arc very fond Of
maizo. VOL, the negroes put maize into bot
monkoys empty hand. Tho monkey clutches
handful OF 1naize, and, sooner than drop It, let's
itself bo caught"
sit is consolation, Michel, that ii our mon
keys escape you know how to catch thom;"