The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1880-09-09
topics of conversation-themselves and

topics Of rsation-themselves and
each other.
We must confess that we looked for
ward with no slight impatience to the
announcement of supper; for if you wish
to see a tame lion Under particularly
favorable circumstances, feeding-time
is the period of all others to pitch upon;
We were therefore very much delighted
to observe a sensation among the guests,
which we well knew how to interpret,
and Immediately afterward to behold
the lion escorting the lady of the house
down stairs. We offered one arm TO an
elderly female of our acquaintance, who
dear old soul!-is the very best person
that ever lived to lead down to any
meal; for, be the room ever 80 small, or
the party ever 80 large, she is sure, by
some intuitive perception OF the eligible,
to push and pull herself and conductor
close to the best dishes on the table-we
say we offered our arm to this elderly
female, and, descending the stairs
shortly after the lion, were fortunate
enough to obtain seat nearly opposite
him.
OF course the keeper was there al
ready. He had planted himself at pre-
cisely that distance from his charge
which afforded him decent pretext for
raising his voice, when he addressed
him, to so loud a key as could not fail
to attract the attention of the whole
company, and Immediately began to ap-
ply himself seriously to the task of
bringing the lion out, and putting him
through the whole of his maneuvers.
Such flashes of wit as he elected from
the lion! First of all, they began to
make puns upon salt-cellar, and then
upon the breast of fowl. and then upon
the trifle; but the best jokes of all were
decidedly on the lobster salad, upon
which latter subject the lion came out
most vigorously, and, in the opinion of
the most competent authorities, quite
outshone himself. This is very ex-
cellent mode of shining in society, and
is founded, we humbly conceive, upon
the classic model of the dialogues be-
tween Mr.. Punch and his friend the
proprietor, wherein the latter takes all
the uphill work, and is content to
pioneer to the jokes and rapartees of Mr..
p. himself, who never fails to gain great
credit and excite much laughter thereby.
Whatever it be founded on, however,
we recommend it to all lions, present
and to come; for this instance it sue
ceeded to admiration, and perfectly
dazzled the whole body of hearars.
When the salt cellar, and the fowls
breast, and the trif1e, and the lobster
salad were all exhausted, and could not
afford standing room for another soli-
tary witticism, the keeper performed
that very dangerous feat which is still
done with some of the caravan lions, al
though in one instance it terminated
fatally, of putting is head in the ANIMALS
mouth, and placing himself entirely at
its mercy. Boswell frequently presents
a melancholy instance OF the lamentable
results of this achievement, and other
keepers and jackals have been terribly
lacerated for their daring. 1t is due to
Our lion to state that he condescended
to be tribed with, in the most gentle
manner, and finally went home with the
Snowman in q hack cab; perfectly
peaceable, but slightly fuddled.
Being in a contemplative mood, we
were led to make some reflections upon
the character and conduct of this genus
of lions as we walked homeward, and
we weresnot long in arriving at the con-
clusion that our former impression in
their favor was very much strengthened
and confirmed by what we had recently
seen. While the other lions receive
company and compliments in a sulen,
moody, not to say snarling, manner,
these appear fiattered by the attentions
that are paid them; while those conceal
themselves to the utmost of their power
from the vulgar gaze, these court the
popular eye, and, unlike their brethren,
whom nothing short OF compulsion will
move to exertion, are ever ready to dis
play their requirements to the wonder
ing throng. We have known bears of
undoubted ability who, when the ex-
pectations of large audience have been
wound up to the utmost pitch, have
peremptorily refused to dance; we'll
taught monkeys, who have unaccount-
ably objected to exhibition the slack
wire; and elephants of unquestioned
genius, who have suddenly declined to
turn the barrel organ; but we never
once knew or heard of @ blped lion,
literary or otherwise-and we state it as
Il fact which is highly creditable to the
whole species-who, occasion offering,
did not seize with avidity on any oppor-
tunity which was afforded him of per-
forming to his hearts content on the
first violin.