The Grange advance. [volume] (Red Wing, Minn.) 1873-1877, 1875-10-13

AmCAASd. tNO QUO az uatuGeU Will Tue
habits of the American Indians would
give them credit for constructing such. a
work Of art as this. q: nix. ~,
Pennsylvania Infantile Phenomenon
ga misunderstanding Baby.
[Erie Correspondence Cincinnati Enquirer]
u.& A singular phenomenon is Just now ere.
:ating sensation a few miles south of this
city, in the shape of mouse.catching in.
FAINT, surprising in exper tness the agility
Of the best canine or feline mouser in the
country. The report of this singular
freak of nature reaehed-mc so we'll au-
thepticated that I concluded, to crafty
my curiosity and possibly be sold ,tasi i
had often been. But, to my surprise. the
facts turned out more remarkable than
the report {gepresentedy and the most
astonishing natural wonder I ever wit
ressed:F little nequestfon IL
tritie over a year old, and can but Just
begin to run about the house and yard.
The moment she wakes and gets out Of
her crib she goes TO the old Kitchen fire.
place, when is infested with species of
small house mice, and sits down by hole
in the corner, very much like cat, with
her eyes intently fixed on the burrow.
She sometimes occupies this position for
an hour without moving, till a mouse
makes lis appearance, when by a sudden
start, apparently without any effort, she
seizes her victim by the neck. AS soon
as her prize is secured she seems TO be
electrified with joy, and tremb'es from
head to foot, uttering kind of wild MUIR
muir or grewl, resembling the half snarl
of a wildcat. On arriving at the house,
and making known the object of my Wis
it, the mother expressed her willingness
strange popularity of the baby providing
l would promise not to make their names
public, as she seemed to dread the noto-
ricty already given to the affair. I, of
course, made the required promise, and
had the privilege Of witnessing with my
own eyes performance so wonderful and
novel that l can never forget the impress
sion it made. The babe was asleep when
| arrived, and on awakening she started
at once or her strange mission. She is
a beautiful little blonde, of delicate fea.
lures and bright, blue eyes. and her hair
lies all over her head in exquisitely.
formed golden curls, about the circle of a
dime. There is nothing unusual in the
countcnancc Of the child, or different
from that Of any pretty-featured baby,
except while stalking her game. Then her
eyes become glistening and fixed, spark
ling like gems, and her face and hands
turn pale as wax, while she appears to
hear or notice nothing going on around
her. but hoops her oyob Dtuadily oenterod
on the burroW whence she expects her
game to sally forth. The mother, an
older sister of the child and myself sat in
a semi.circlc around her, silent as if in a
spiritual se071ce, waiting for the signal of
departed spirits. Had no mouse made
its appearance, the sight was one never
to be gotten-thc deathly.pale face of
that motionless child, and the riv-
eted, sparkling eyes concentrated for
thirty minutes on that mouse hole in the
brick hearth. During that half hour we
neither moved nor spoke above whisper,
when SUDDENLY like the springing of trap,
the little things hand went down Oh the
hearth, followed by the fine squeak of the
mouse, and that strange, low growl, and
the singular trcmor Of body OF the child!
AS usual, she held the mouse by the neck
in her right hand, while it squirmed des.
perately to get away. She then pressed
it up against her bosom, and felt of it
gently and softly with her other hand;
then would dexterously change hands,
keeping her grip on the neck to
avoid it's bite though her mother told me
she had been frequently bitten; and while
sensitive to pain and crying at the least
hurt, she never was seen to vince
or show the least pain from the bite of
mouse. I examined her fingers and found
them Scared in many places where she
had been bitten. | tried to realize how
the feat had been accomplished, but it
was done SO suddenly there was no time
to analyze it. Vet Twas assured by the
family, who had taken frequent observa
ton, that the mouse when once out of it's
hole seems to become charmed or magnet
lied and has no power, or at least shows
no disposition to escape till caught, when
it is too late. If any one approaches the
child to take the mouse away from her.
she will utter shrill scream and then try
to conceal her prize by putting it into her
mouth.
have heard of snake and bird charm
ing children, but guess this is the first
mouse-catching baby yet developed.
wonder how Darwin would explain this
abnormal instinct by the laws Of cvolu