, 1880-06-07

go I thought should carry the war into
the enemy's country.
"You should take better care OF the
handkerchiefs, Maria," said I, and
not let them lie around"
"Lie around r said Maria, severely.
looking at several on my table and
bureau.
Now there is one point wherein l
have the advantage ef Maria. can
road and write, and she cannot. These
privileges seem to her to be rather
talismanic and peculiar, and when l
give her piece of paper with written
characters on it, she always turns it up
and down, ana looks at it wrong side
up, as if, like the Chinese, she read
from left to right.
I wrote an order for mouse trap of
a peculiar construction, and gave Maria
twenty five cents, and we parted.
The next night and the next had a
serenade. and treated little Christine
Nilsson Mouse to cheese and crackers.
My handkerchiefs became very bsd.
1 must admit. The monograms, which
Maria calls monographs, did seem to be
gnawed very mysteriously.
" Maria" said 1, do you you set
that trap in the garrett"
Tesm. and in the cellar, and all
over the house, and it's my opinion,
mum, that them there mice is right
| here in y0a' own room, mum. Yes, it
is, mum p
All if Maria only suspected. If she
only knew that I was in collusion with
"them there mice" Where would be
that pearl of consistency which maids
look for in mistress ? I was lost for
ever if Maria knew that | was guilty,
secretly, OF entertaining q mouse every
night. For the little funny show of
seeing her sing at the cheese, then eat
1t, to hear her scamper away and then
sing in the chimney, mad become the
solacs of my wakeful hours and pre-
ferred if she a,ere the destroyer of nay
best pocket -handkerchiefs to give up
everything, ever" Monographs, rather
than my singing mouse.
Now what do you suppose Maria
did? She absolutely set q trap and put
it in my chimney. She found some
cracker crumbs which Christine had
taken home with her, behind the CRATE !;
and she set her horrid trap for my sing
ing mouse.
heard one night not the toot, toot,
but a dreadful clash clang glang
bang" and then wild dance of wires.
l knew what had happened. 1 had a
dreadful moment of irrssolution. Then
l came to myself and jumped out Of
bed, -remem bering that | had written
0. that piece of paper araich Maria could
not read
Send me trap with door to it,
and not one OF the corkscrew kind J.
That was on the papsr, and the gro
Ger had obeyed that mysterious order.
To reach my chimney, to take up
that trap, to open the door, and to see
Christine Nilsson jump out, was the
work of-well, let US say, no time.
Now you won't tell any body of
this
let my singing mouse go free, and
heard her dear little song for long
time. My handkerchiefs and several
other articles were nibbled, for cheese
and crackers were not enough for
Christine.
Now that Maria is very remarkable
woman. When she found that trap with
the door open and no mouse in it, she
began to suspect; But sue never said
a word. She is as cunning and as ST.
lent as an Indian, and as cruel.
l kept my peace, too. If l found a
trap set, l unset it before went to bed; !;
yes, and looked Maria full in the face
the next morning without blush.
We we're both playing part, and l
played mine poorly. So, one day when
l had gone out, what does she do but
shut the cat in my room
l hate cats. l think they are so Sc
cretive, so opinionated. and so false.
Perfect Tarquins, every one of them,
yes, Neros. Caligulas-you are in the
Latin grammar, aren't you? Now a
cat viii be perfectly lovely to your face
and lie on the rug and purr, and the
moment your back is turned she will
go and conspire with Maria, or any
nody else, and eat Christine nilsson,
if you have one, your singing mouse,
your Iusus nattr4 Latin dictionary.
That is what our cat did, and | have
never forgiven him, no, nor Maria
either. r.-YeuA's Companion.
Poultry ITEMs.-Pumpkins boiled
and mixed with coru-moal makes good