The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1873-05-09
Jim Smiths Menagerie,

Jim smiths Menagerie.
A party of boys at Jim Smiths house
were playing game that they called
mendgerie. All the boys who never
played it before were turned into the
hall, and then, being called into the
sitting-room one by one, asked to tell
what animal they most wished to see.
One boy wished to see hippopotamus,
another an elephant, others tigers and
lions; but they were one and all led up
to the looking-glass and pointed to their
own reflection, and told that there was
the animal they had expressed desire
to see. This game the boys thought
very funny and they laughed heartily
at the last boy who was admitted into
the menagerie for he had asked to see
monkey, and looked very much "taken
down" when shown his own self.
"Out here is old drunken Tom Cath
bone," said one of the boys, looking
from the window "let's call him in,
and let him have peep at an ugly-look-
ing animal.
So poor old Tom, the drunkard, was
called into the room, and told to tell
what animal he wanted to see.
"Oh show me the worst-looking wild
beast you've got" said he. "Come,
show it to me show me the beast I"
"All right, then p said the boys, and
pushed Tom right in front of the look
ng-glass. He stood for moment look
ing into the glass with silly drunkard' s
smile but presently such a look of
horror and sorrow passed over his face
that the laughter of the boys was checked;
and they could not help but pity him as
with his hands.
1--WE didn't mean to hurt your feel
ings," said Jim. eve did the same
thing to all the boys. And, Just before
you came in, Dick Willoughby asked to
see monkey; and we showed him him.
self"
But the poor fellow looked up with q
mournful look in his bleared eyes, and
said, 81 am worse than beast-worse
than a beast !"
And after he had left them the boys
watched him going down the street, and
from their hearts did pity poor old Tom
Cathbone, and so do we and much we
hope that none of the dear boys whom
we now know and love may ever come to
be such as he is to-day.-The Gem.
A City Boys Letter from the Country.
DEAR JIMMY Ask your mother to
bring you up here right off. It's gay.
There's fishing here and lots of worms
to catch EN- with. You stick the hook
in them and they wriggle bully. Fishin's
funnier when you don't catch the hook
in the seat of your pantaloons, so
that you can't sit down and can't fish all
the way home. L did that the other
day, and Mr.. Jenkyns, Laura's beau,
ask't me if L was sole or heel. Sup
pose he thought he was going to be
funny, but 1 didn't see it. Bimeby
saw him cut piece of Cousin Laura's
hair, when her hook caught, and kiss it,
like great baby, and put it in his
pocket. So l told on him at tea, and
everybody laft. They have cows here,
and L go to see them MIXED. They
don't pump it out with their tails, like
you and / thought they did, but they
squeeze it out of bag that comes on
purpose, 1 suppose. MIXED the other
night. 1t was very hard to squeeze,
and it would not go into the pail. Some
went into my eyes, and the rest went on
my sleeves. l don't like milking. 1
don't like turkey cocks neither. They
ruffle themselves up and run at you.
They are a pherocious bird, and dis
agreeable to live with. Chickens are
nicer. We eat em. They put them
under a "barrel" at night, and Bill
and / kill them in the morning. We
have bully fun in wringing their necks.
You'd better come here right off and
bring shotgun, for there are bears
here-anyhow we saw fox-and candy,
because we can't get any here, and a
pop-gun, and some bows and arrows
and things. Perhaps we can shoot q
deer. 1 think Mr. Jenkyns is blamed
fool. He made me believe he found q
deer's track the other day, and when 1
looked Mt it it was only the mark of
cousin Laura's boot. don't see what
makes him so happy about girls We
won't, will we? I'd be ashamed. 1
am going to ride old Sam tomorrow.
He's horse. You ride him BAREBACK,
and it's very hard to stick on, he feels so
squirmy. Give my love to all the boys,
and tell them I'm having bully time
and hate old Jenkyns. No more at
present from Yours truly,
Roppr,r