The Grange advance. [volume] (Red Wing, Minn.) 1873-1877, 1876-10-25

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air Of rapt attention as he crouched
down to listen. When had finished,
he did not at once begin to try the
tune himself, but sat quiet and still for
some time, evidently thinking it over
in his own mind. In piping it, if he
forgot part of the air, he would cry
':'Doctor, doctor J. and repeat the last
note once or twice, as much as to saw ::
s'What comes after that! e. and / would
finish the tune for him. n. n
4..''Tse! tse !Ntse!'' was a favorite ex.
clamation of his, Indicative of sur
prise. When played a tune on the
fiddle to him, he would crouch down
with brcathless attention. Sometimes
when he saw me take up the fiddle, he
would go at once and peck at Hezeki-
ali. | don't know why he did so, un-
less to secure her keeping quiet. AS
soon as had finished he would saw.
''Bravo - with three distinct intona-
tions of the word, thus: ssBravo
doctor; br-r-ravo bravo -
Dick was extremely inquisitive and
must see into everything. He used TO
annoy the cat very much, by opening
out her toes, or even her nostrils, to
examine and at times pussy used to
lose patience, and put him on his back.
I" Eh?" he would say. s:What is it
You rascal!'' If two people were talk.
ing together underneath his cage, he
would cock his head, lengthen his
neck, and looking down quizzingly.
say: F'Eh !? What is it? What do YOU
say?'
He frequently began sentence with
a verb ':Is,'' putting great emphasis on
it. ''Is?' he would say musingly.
els what, Dick ?' I would ask.
els he would repeat-ssIs the dar
ling startling pretty pet?'
NO question about it, I would ans
wer.
He certainly made the best of his
vocabulary, for he trotted out all his
nouns and all his adjectives time about
in pairs, and formed hundred curious
combinations.
"Is, he asked one day, "the darling
doctor a rascal q
''Just as you think, I replied.
''Tse! tse! tse! Whew! whew !!
whew - said Dick; and finished off
with ''Duncan Gray and the first half
of the ''Sprig of Shillelah.':
Glove is the soul of a nate Irish.
man, he had been taught to say but
it was as frequently, ''Love is the soul
of nate Irish starling," or, Ills love
the soul Of a darling pretty Dick 2" and
so on.
One curious thing is worth noting :;
he never pronounced my dogs name
Theodore Nero-once while awake ::
but he often startled US at night by
calling the dog in ringing tones talk
ing in his sleep. He used to be chat
tering and singing without intermis-
sion all day long; and if ever he was
silent then knew he was doing mis-
chief; and If l went quietly into the
kitchen, I Was sure to find him either
tracing patterns on a bar Of soap, or
examining and tearing to pieces I; par
eel of newt y-arrived groceries. He
was very fond of wine and spirits, but
knew when he had enough. He was
not permitted to come into the parlor
without his cage; but sometimes at
dinner, if the door were left ajar, he
would silently enter like a little thief;
when once fairly in, he would fly on to
the table, scream, and defy me. He
was very fond of pretty child that
used to come to see me. If Matty was
lying on the sofa reading, Dick would
come and sing on her head; then
would go through all the motions of
washing and bathing on Matty's bon
ME hair ; which was, I thought, pay
ing her very pretty compliment.
When the sun shone in at my study
window, used to hang Dicks cage
there, as treat to him. Dick would
remain quiet for perhaps twenty min
utes, then the stiffness would feel irk-
some to him, and presently he would
stretch his head down toward me in a
confidential sort of way, and begin to
poster me with his silly questions.
''Doctor,'' he would commence, els
it, is it a nate Irish pet 2
FsSilence, and go to sleep,' I would
make answer. II want to write.''
''Eh - he would say, ''What is it :?
What dye say %
Then, if didn't answer
els it sugar-snails-sugar, snails,
nd brandy?'' Then: @'Doctor, doc
tor!''
"Well, Dickie, what is it now?' I
would answer.
''Doctor- whew.' That meant was
to whistle to him.
''Shan't'' I would say sulkily.
s'Tse! tse!' Dickie would say, and
continue: doctor, will you go a.
climbing = never could resist that.
Going a-clinking meant going fly-hawk.
ing. Dick always called a fly clink !;
and this invitation would receive a
dozen times a day, and seldom refused.
l would open the cage door, and Dick