The Penn's Grove record., 1885-08-22

But | know that Tom is in earnest.
His heart is warm and soft as a wo.
mans; but, the idea once entertained
that Bonnie would be better dead than
handed owe to strangers, there IS no
hope of his determination wayering.
"Just say-will you have him OF notr'
he asks stiffly.
81 suppose l mUst!' is my u%ngracious
answer.
mot at all; if you would rather not,
you have only to say SO. | am a fair
shot, SC the little brute won't suffer. !"
Just then Bonnie's small bright eye
uncloses, and for a moment he looks
up at his master with a glance which IS
almost pathetic. Apparently it has no
affect on Tom; with me however 1t Is
different.
Poor littlething-it would be brutal
to kill it'll" ! say ilnpatieatly. "lH ac-
cept it, Tom-ouly where in the wide
world am TO keep it2"
"Ah, l knewyou would come roundl'
Tom declares, all the stiffness dying out
of his m as if by magic. Il have
ordered a first.class cage-eight feet
by six-and it will be here this evening.
Bonnie, my boy, you are the happlssL
monkey ont of Indial'
The little creature does not appear
inclined to receive my OvertuTes IN Il
friendly mamie at first, but thrusts ut
me in a wllful and fretful way with its
tiny black hands. On being br1bed
with a piece of cake however, he
snatches at it eagerly and begins to
cram his pouches, ~recklessly scattering
such portions as do not tempt his dainty
palate on to the carpet. Then, with a
little coaxing, he is induced to leave
Toms sheltering arms, and, after hop
ping about in an aimless way for some
time at the end of his chain, he climbs
up the leg of my. char and into my lap.
jabbing slightly and working his fore
head up and down as if in fear. A few
minutes later he is sound asleep-that
is, as sound asleep as a monkey can be,
for it is my belief they quite lose
consciousness. On the least, and to
human ears almost imperceptible, stir
the brown eyes would open wide, on
the lookout for danger.
~ believe they have nearly leased
the life out of him on the journey
down." explains Tom. "He came in
the guards van"
And indeed the poor thing does seem
overcome with fatigue andfear. Every
now and again he opens his eyes with a
start; then, finding that all Is right,
smacks his lips ~nervously and settles TO
rest again. His little red cloak is rag
ged and torn, whilst the hood that
should fit over his head hangs round
his neck. and is kept there by a dirty
knotted piece of braid. He has a deep
scratch on his little fiat nose and another
on one of his hands. He looks like a
monkey that has been at wal with the
world, and still more does he look as is
the world has been at war with him.
"Poor Bonnieln l say, with genuine
sigh.
Then, being deplorably ignorant as
to the habits and customs of monkeys,
| ask for and receive instructions re-
specting the treatment of this new in-
mate of our household.
A little later Tom proceeds to give
me a detailed account of the accom-
plishments of my new pet, after listen
ing to which, | regard him with a little
less alarm than | did on his first arri-
val. He is such a mite of q thing-not
much larger than a kitten-that he
surely cannot do a great deal of harml
81 dare say l shall get used to him
in time," is my unsuspecting remark;
''but, Tom, l don't know what papa
will say, or whether he will even allow
me to keep it,"
At this Tom breaks into a long and
and u~proarious fit of laughter.
"WelI done, Vera; nothing like leav-
ing open a door by which to escape from
your contract But mind-I know I'M
Gle, and, as | am perfectly convinced
that you would be allowed to keep a
tame elephant should you express a
desire to do so, a plea of his dislike to
Bonnie won't serve you much"
"Indeed papa is not so weakly in
dulgent as you seem to imagine, " | an
swer with a fair assumption of dignity.
Tom shrugs his shoulders in an un-
believing way, but does not contradict
me.
you will have a chance of seeing
papa at dinner" l continue more gra-
ciously, ''for of course you can't leave
me until the cage arrives"
Tom assents and then we stroll ont
into the garden, Bonnie following, like
a well conducted monkey at the end of
his chain.
Apparently he approves of his new
home and new mistress, for once or
twice he gives a cOntented little grunt.
He hunts vigorously for something
wherewith to fill his pouches, and soon
his small face assumes aswelled appear
anc very irregular in outline, by rea-
son of sticks and twigs with which his
cheeks are crammed. 1t is reassuring
TO be told that he will not voluntarily
eat things which are not likely to disa-
gree with him,
On papa's return from town, l get
not a grain Of the sympathy / have
reckoned on. He declares l am right
ly caught for saying what | did not
mean. He slaps Tom on the back and
expresses his delight at seeing HIM
indeed he seems 50 full of Tom that the
monkey is of no account in his eyes;
whilst-it may be ungrateful, but l
cannot help 1.-THE little creature
weighs so heavily on my mind that |
cannot appreciate Tom.
Bonnie allays some of my fears by
behaving irreproachfully on the first
evening of his arrival. With the ex-
ception of a irmly-marked determine
ton to sit on the dining room hob, the
FIRE being low, his conduct being exem-
plary. The cage makes its appearance
about nine, and is conveyed to the
kitchen, where, after a sharp dispute
with the cook, it is established. Bonnie
is then consigned to his house, and an
old shawl is given him for bed-clothes
Even whilst we are ~padlocking the door
he has enveioped his head in the folds
of the shawl and is sound asleep in the
corner of his cage,
< +
Two months have passed since that
morning in June when Tom introduced
Bonnie to our family circle. Tom has
returned TO India, and a wish some
times haunts me that he had taken
Bonnie with him. Yet L have grown
fond of the little creature, but the re-
s~ponsibility of possessing such an imp
of mischief is never off my mind. 1t
seems TO ms that Bonnie never stops in
&c n ~ ,,,,IoSs az alas