Sharp County record., 1881-07-07
NJ TMa GRAY FOXES.

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Not long ago, writes q Virginia lady,
nv husband went fox hunting, and met
with a den Of wee little fox babies, at
the most three days old which ne
broughs home Graded in his silk pock-
et-bs1 kercufef. This caused me utter
corgreruarlOu. for what could be done
with such riny little things? l happen
ed TO put them into the rocking-chaIr,
and called M Kitty that had one little
bairu OF herown. Pussy IOOzed at them
in auazemeut when the little things
croodIed against her. She commenced
nursing them at once, so that her own
IircIe 1t divided It's rOQrishment with
its little brother and sister fox, 70 the
ast0nfshment Of every one. They grew
and thri7ed in ny rOcking-ch2ir, 50
that I had no more command OF lit as
nv own for ac least three months, for
they all took p0ssession-kiLty, Kit and
thefoxes. They soon began to De very
playful and cut Z? all kinds OF little ca
Ders. and began readily TO answer to
their names. The7 were 50 much alike
that l could not distinguish one from
the other, except by the colOred ribbons
on their necks. Romeo was scarlet
Juliet blue.
The7 became nv little companions
and friends. When walked out they
would walk on each side of me,
and never offered to desert me. One
da7 went some distance TO see q
neighbor, and the broom grass being
very high crossing the field, | felt very
much afraid Of losing them, but they
stuck close TO me. At this time they
were about six months old.
One morning Juliet came home with
one Of her hind legs broken. l TOOK
her uo in nv lap, spintered and knitted
it beautifully. She was perfectly quiet,
and never offered to prevent me from
binding up her leg, and was most CRATE
tul. At night they slept on the porch
with FIVE OF six big hounds, that we're
verv fond Of them-a curious sight to
see pussy, the hounds and the foxes,
all cuddled up together at night Then
as soon IS the house door was opened,
Romeo and Juliet would race upstairs
to my room and jump on the bed.
Romeo would purrin my face and creep
down and lie at my feet, but Juliet was
much more shy. She would jump on
the bed, run around and jump of again;
Romeo would remain in bed until
breakfast time. Then they would take
their station, with their fOrepaws on my
lap, waiting for any little bits that |
would give to them. They would eat
anything, but had apreterence for eggs.
They were exactly liketwO cats about
the house, and not any more trouble.
Strange to say, they were never known
to rob the hen-hOuse or take a chicken
Of any kind. My husband and | became
verv fond Of them, but they did not ike
strangers. They were perfectly free
never were tied or confined in any way.
| had out one objection to them-that
was their fox odor. One Of our oldest
Virginia fox-hunting friends, Major
Thornton, came home to spend the
night. The Major admired the foxes
amazingly, but the little animals did
not behave at all well to the Major, for
they snapped and snarled at INN in such
an unbecoming manner, that he became
quite afraid Of them and said:
Pray, madam, do take them away"
think they must have had an in.
stinct that the Major had brought many
of their species to grief.
Shortly after this, toour great sorrow,
Romeo and Juliet met their fate. They
were then fourteen months old, and
began to wander too far from home.
They were mistaken for wild foxes and
hunted down. 1t was not discovered
that they were my tame foxes until the
hunters saw the ribbons upon their
necks. They were killed by a strange
pack of hounds. Romeo and Juliet
were both atfectionate and grateful lit
tie animals. l could have retained
them until now by keeping them in
captivity. That l would never have
done, however, for think it most cruel
to conine any animal, and very selfish
too, for one mere qualification, to pun
ish poor little animals. | am sure all
such pets fret more than any person is
aware of.