The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1884-09-10

"You must not go an inch toward the
corn-crib. I'd rather never see kernel
of corn, rather sit right here and starve."
'"You are sweet, soft-haired, snowy
throated girl to care so much for me.
but hear what have to say"
81 almost know chipmunk has told the
cat already"
"Never the wretch has had his hands
full holding his own skin on. Why,
that cat would down him at q swallow,
and lick his chops for the rest of the
family"
"Yes, and then hunt you for desert"
"You will make me angry yet. Glass
me with chipmunks, make me fellow
to disgusting dwarf of prison-bird
grounding There are not cats enough
in creation to catch me, and you know it.
But let me tell you that something ails
this particular cat. If cats in general
can catch me, this one can't. He isn't
sound. He has been wounded. Some
body has pulled-has pulled his tail
square out |"
Mr.. Frisky whistled this startling fact
in so emphatic manner that his lady
love, in spite of her fear and trembling,
actually burst into laugh. "Wby, he
can run all the faster without a tail to
carry and what has tail or no tail to do
with his perfectly awful" (young lady
red squirrels under excitement often pre-
fer perfectly" to fearfully y "teeth ?"
"Ah, balance, my dear, BALANCED A
cat must be we'll balanced to be a good
mouser, and especially to be good
squirreler."
Miss Frisky giggled; she couldn't help
it but the speaker was 30 blinded by his
own dazzling eloquence that he took no
notice.
Balance" he continued. "That cats
head is altogether too big. I've watched
him. He can't sit down like other cats
His head is 80 heavy it keep, him teeter-
ing, like those ridiculous birds we saw in
the summer, down on the shore of the
pond-Hs, ha, ha They were both
laughing. In their glee they started up,
took several lively turns round the maple,
and vanished.
1t was now nearly noon, and suspi-
cious circumstance is to be here noted.
No sooner were the merry lovers gone
than the farmer saw his pet quietly hide
away under the corn crib. "That's right,
Billy" said he " stay there catch every
ThSChlly ulDDlluB Julcl VI GILL
When night fell there was sorrow deep
in the heart of the maple-tree. Cold and
cherries was the cozy home which the
lover had fixed on and fitted up for his
bride. The darkness came, the wailipg,
biting winds, the voices of the owls, but
the headstrong, lively little lover came
not with them.
Night went its way, and morning
dawned. A wee, sad face peered p:teously
out of the maple, gave one long, sad look
at the world, and dropped backward from
sight. In the afternoon of this day
Squire Gray Squirrel was heard lecturing
his grandsons with unusual JUNCTION on
the follies of youth. At the very same
hour, little chap Chipmunk, running across
a beautiful bushy red tail without an
owner, soliloquized, 1t is easier getting
out of Jail than out of some other places
know of. Mr.. Frisky was mighty saucy
to me; after all, liked him better than l
do that sullen old yellow rabbit.cat. Just
because he was born without tail he has
killed poor Frisky, and means to wear
this himself. Not bit of it."
So saying, he seized all that was left
of the departed hero, climbed to the hole
where his mate curled disconsolate, and
tucked it gently in, as far as he could.
Now little chap Chipmunk was young
gentleman not to be despised, either in
character or in personal appearance. His
stripes were strictly honorable, and he
could be very winning on occasion. Hence
it is not surprising that, after presenting
his deceased rivals remains to the beloved,
he should present himself, and, in due
time, convince the bereaved one that a
lonely, empty dwelling in the top of a
naked tree was not to be preferred to
comfortable home in the warm under
ground, with plenty of good company
Ansel Henry, in Christian Union.