Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1882-12-12
RATS AND NICE.

there were mofcuouion ASS - ~
bedroom every night.
Mr.. Travers told Sue and me a terri
BILE story one day about woman that
was walking through lonely field, when
she suddenly saw field mouse right in
front of her. She was a brave woman
so after she had said, "Oh. my save
me, somebody !" she determined to save
herself if she could, for there was nobody
within miles Of her. There was tree
not very far off, and she had just time to
climb up the tree and seat herself in the
branches, when the mouse reached It's
foot. There that animal staid for SIX
days and nights, squeaking in way
that made the woman's blood run cold,
and waiting for her to come down. On
the seventh day, when she was nearly
exhausted, man with gun came along,
|
l don't believe this story and told Mr..
Travers so, for woman couldn't climb
tree, and even if she could, what would
hinder the mouse from climbing after
her, if he liked her so much.
Sue has a new young man, who comes
every Tuesday and Thursday night.
One day he said, Jimmy, if you'll get
me q lock Of your sisters hair, I'll give
you nice dog" told him he was aw-
fully kind, but didn't think it would
be honest for me to take Sues best hair,
but that Id try to get him some Of her
everyday hair. And he said "What on
earth do you mean jimmy" And |
said that Sue had got some new back
hair little while ago, for | was with
her when she bought it, and knew she
wouldn't like me to take any Of that. So
he said it was no matter, he'd give me
the dog anyway.
told Sue aiterward all about it, just
to show her how honest | was, and in
stead of telling me was good boy, she
said, "Oh, you little torment, 90 way
and never le, me see you again" and
threw herself down on the sofa and cried,
and mother came and said, Jimmy, if
you wan, to kill your dear sister, you can
just keep on doing as you do Such is
the gratitude Of grown-up folks.
Mr.. Wi,hers-,hat's the new young
man-brought the dog as he said he
would. He's beautiful Scotch terrier,
and he said be would kill rats like any
thing, and was two years old, and had
had the distemper; that is, Mr.. Withers
said the dog would kill rats, of course
Mr.. Wi,hers himself never had the dis
temper
wanted to see the dog kill rats, so |
took him to ,be rat-hole in the kitchen
but he barked at it so loud that no rat
would think of coming out. If you
want to catch rats, you mustn't begin by
barking and scratching at rat holes. but
you must sit down and kind Of wink
with one eye and lay for them, just as
cats do. | told Mr.. Wi,hers that the
dog couldn't catch any rats, and he said
he would bring me some in box, and !
could let them out, and the dog would
kill every single one Of them.
The next evening Sue sent me down
to the milliner's to bring her new bonnet
home, but the bonnet wasn't done yet,
and as passed Mr.. Wither's Office, he
said, "Come here, Jimmy; I've 90,
those rats for you He gave me
wooden box like a tea-chest, and told
me there were dozen rats in it, and Id
better have the dog kill them at once,
or else they'd gnaw out before morning.
When got home, Sue met me at the
door and said, "Give me that bandbox
this instant you've been moranour about
it." tried to tell her that it wasn't her
box but she wouldn't listen. and just
snatched it and went into the parlor,
where there were three other young lad.
les who had come to see her, and slam.
med the door but the dog slipped in with
her.
In about a minute | heard the most |
awful yells that anybody ever heard. 1t
sounded as if all the furniture in the par
lor was being smashed into kindling-
wood, and the dog kept barking like mad.
The next minute one girl came flying
out of the front window, and another
girl jumped right on her before she had
time to get out of the way and they
never stopped crying, Help. murder
let me out-oh my"
knew, of course, that Sue must have
opened the box and let the rats out, and
though wanted ever so much to know if
the dog had killed them all, l thought
she would like it better If | went back
10 the milliner's. and waited there a few