The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1884-02-15
Misccl lanrnus.
Toms Pets.

When you hear what they were, you will
think it very queer that any boy was allowed
| 10 have them. But after Tom had scarlet
fever he was very delicate, and had to be
| taken from school The doctor said:
"Throw aside all books for year, and let
| the boy run in the open air all fine days, and
ON bad ones amusc himself as best he can in
| doors"
So the third story was given up to Tom,
who had n workshop up there, next his bed
loom, and reigned supreme.
For awhile he worked very diligently with
a scroll-saw. But at length, the house being
| literally overlooking with brackets, book,
shelves and the like, he seemed to turn his at
| tcnlion to natural history, which he pursued
after practical fashion of his own
A small tcrrapn had his headquarters I'M
der the bureau. More than dozen different
cocoons, in branches of trees, were stuck
around his looking-glass
Six curious beetles lived in a wire house
constructed by their owner. One day the
servant, ON opening the door, was confront
ed hy swarm of locusts just ready to fly.
They had been put there in the chrysalis
state, that Tom might watch them come out.
Great was his wrath, on his return, to find
them out and gone-for Jane informed him
that she'd clean no room with "such singing
varmits" in it. So she had opened the win
dow, and put them out
Once Tom went to his grandmothcr's for
a few days, and before he had started he
came to me and said
"Auntie, please feed Mahmoud lhe terra
pin) with piece of meat and a cabbage leaf
each day. Give Goggles IA frog that lad his
quarters in the third story bath-room) the
bugs and worms that you'll find in the box
in the backyard. The beetles have enough,
and can get on till come back. / tell YOU
because mamma would never take the trou-
BILE, and Jane hasn't half sense enough any
how"
Flattercd by this remark of confidence,
did my best with my troublesome charges.
Several visitors came unexpectedly one
afternoon, and an old gentleman, n friend of
Toms father, was put i'll the third story to
sleep. | was out for II walk, and when / re-
turned, was told that this guest had retired
All at once the pets came into my mind but,
as no one else seemed to have thought of
them remained quiet and trusted to luck.
While we were all laughing and talking on
the porch, a fearful yell came from the house,
so that-at least one would suppose-some
one was being murdered. My brother rushed
up to the third story, whence the sound
came, and in few minutes returned with
Goggles in hand.
The old gentleman, wishing warm bath
ere he slept had turned on the hot water and
jumped into the bath-tub, when something
seemed to come out of the spigot and lump
ON his head.
When my brother reached the third story.
he was making for his room in rather an UNI
prcscntable condition, and asked his host
what on earth he kept in his bath tubs
Looking in the bathroom. there sat Cog
giles, as much surprised rs the old gentleman,
and not at all relishing being reused from his
first nap by hot bath. | took charge of
him and put him in n box in the kitchen.
SO far as know, the guest in the third
| story slept well But was aroused during the
night by "a queer sound on the stairway. A
dull thud would be followed by long ST.
lence. Then another thud thud Too law
| to get up, turned over and went To sleep
again.
The next morning, rs | was going down
stairs Jane hailed me with the remark:
Here's this plague of n haste ag in, ma'am.
| Whatll l do wild it?"
And there on the stairs sat Mahmoud, his
head out, and blinking his eyes as if to say
| ''Ivc been turned out of my room, and have
had bad night of it,"
The strange noises on the stairs were ac-
counted for now. Mahmoud had escaped
from Ills QuuTIcIS, per APPS ABOUT inc Time tnat
such fuss had been raised over Goggles. He
had probably spent the night in trying to
get down stairs, n feat attended with so much
difficulty that he had not accomplished it by
morning
He was sent to share Goggles box till his
masters return. AT breakfast the old gentle.
man said little, and soon after took his depar.
| turc.
| Later, heard an exclamation from Jane
who was cleaning in the third story. Ascend
| ing to Toms room, / found six caterpiars
crawling over the bed.
In a few hours Tom came back and took
charge of his live stock himself once more
and relieved me from great responsibility
At tea, that night, my brother said:
"My son, was deeply mortified that sucl
q thing should have happened to guest il
my house. / am afraid we will never bt
able to induce him to visit us again"
Tom listened with such a grave face tina
we all thought he was deeply impressed. A
last he burst into a laugh, and said:
my, how funny the old chap must hay,
looked | should have laughed myself int,
fits if I'd seen him He killed two of m,
calerpilars, though, and nearly scalded Cog
giles. | am sorry he ever came this time, an,
don't care il he never does come again."
So that lecture was entirely lost
Goggles did recover from the effects of hi
hot bath, and takes cold ones now with Tom
Mahmoud still wanders around in the mos
mysterious manner, and was last found b
mamma under the baby's pillow.