The Republican journal., 1877-06-28
The Meadow-Mo


The most common OF all our tield-mice
is the short-tailed meadow mouse, the
IyYic0IU | find it in the woods, out on
the prairics, and in the hay-tieltls. In
summer these little creatures inhabit the
low, Wet meadows in great numbers.
When the heavy rains Of autumn drive
them out. they move to higher and dryer
ground. dnd look for some hiIlock, or old
ant-hill, under which to DIG their home
In digging they scratch rapidly With the
tore-teet 4 few times, and then throw
back the earth to a great distance with
the hind-teet, frequently loosenlng the
dirt with their teeth, and pushing it aside
with their noses. As the hole grows deep
en- horizontally they will lie on their backs
and dig overhead. every little while back
ing slowly out, and showing the loose
earth to the entrance These winter bur
rows are only five or six inches below the
surface, and sometimes are simply hol-
lowed out under a great stone, but are
remarkable for the numerous and COM
plicated chambers and side passages of
which they are composed In one of the
largest rooms OF this Subtcrranean house
is placed their winter bed. formed Of fine
dry grasses. Its shape and size are that
of Il football. with only a cavity in the
centre, entered through a hole in the
side, and they creep in as do Arctic tray
clerS into their tul-bags
Thou SAW the fields laid bare an waste
In weary winter comm fast
An coy here, beneath the blast
Thou thought 10 dwell.
Here five orsiX youngmice are born, and
stay until the coming OF warm weather.
hy which time they are grown. and 90
out to take care OF themselves Some
times one OF them, instead of hunting up
:; Wife and getting a home Of his own
will wander oft by himself and live alone
like Il hermit, growing crosSrr as he grows
older
lii The deepest part of the burroW is
placed their store oi provisions. Uncover
one OF these little granarcs in November,
before tie owners have used much of it.,
and y0u might find five or six quarts Of
seeds, roots, and small nuts. Out on the
prairie this store would consist chiefly of
round tubers- like very small potatoes
Of the spille-loWcr, a few Juicy roots OF
some other weeds and grasses. bulbs of
wild onion, and 50 forth. If Il wheat
or rye patch was near, there would be
quantities of grain and if YOU should
open a nest under Il log or stump in the
woods, You might discover IL hundred OF
SO OF chcst-Euts. bcach-nuts, and acorns.
nicely Shelled. All these stores are carried
to the burrows, often from long distances,
in their baggy cheeks, which are a mouse $
| pockets, and they work with immense in
| lustry, knowing just when to gather this
and that kind of food for the winter \
friend of mine, who had a farm near the
| Hudson river, had Il nice field of rye,
which he was only waiting a day or two
longer to harvest until it should be quite
| ready. But the very night before he
Went to cut it, the mice stole large por-
ton of the grain and carried il of to THEN
nests in the neighboring woods Hunting
| them about half blIshel of rye. which
was perfectly good. Sometimes they build
nests in the russell corn shocks left stand
inc in the sere October fields, and store
up their heaps of food, although there
may be no necessity, so firmly fixed in
their minds is the idea Of preparing foI
the future. But they eat a great deal,
and their stores are none too large tC
outlast the long, dreary months, when
the ground is frozen hard, and the mead
oWs are swept by the wntry winds, OF
packed under a blanket OF snow.
Captain Henry b. Leavitt, of Pittstield
n. H., was mortally wounded and takel
prisoner in Florida, in 1862. His widow
now lives in Saco. \ few weeks ago, {
valuable sword presented to Capt. Leav
lit by his friends in Pittstield, was return
ed to Mrs. Lcavitt 10y F. o. Mays of For
syth, Georgia, with the following message
take great pleasure in forwarding by express t.
your address the sword Of your husband, captnret
| by my brother, Lieut.. H. p. Mays. 1t is with re
gret that ] learned that your husband died o
wounds received at our hands. My brother too
welded up his life short while after at Charleston
(killed by shell from Morris Island), and trus
that he and your husband who were made foes
shore, where there is no conflict, no battles NJ
war. May not also indulge in the hope that yol
and your people, though tried by aflction have
like our people buried the animosites of the pas
and are content to live together in the future il
peace and harmony cherishing with the liveies
recollections the valor displayed alike by the orth
ern and Southern soldiers, and bequeathed as ;
sacred heritage to our whole people by the dea,
heroes of the Blue and the Gray.
Michigan girls use dry corn husks tt
flI ont tbair Iuct1ac and tho vou,,,r ,,,o,,