St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1885-02-12
Pastures Of Animals.

little patch of grass with half dozen
standard rose trees in it. Here the
first living thing | see this morning is
a splendid tom cat, now quite a middle
aged gentleman, but yet apparently
enjoying a game with some dead leaves
and sticks like kitten. was cen
trasting mentally his light hearted
happy nature with that of a certain
poor, departed Jim, who, after he grew
up never unbent in play for moment,
when, looking again, saw a tiny
mouse steal away few feet from I'm
der the cats paw, and my light-hearted
theory burst like bubble; though l
am bound to say that this next door
cat has very sunny disposition in
deed, often enjoying game of romps
with his own dog, Il thing our Jim
would never stOop to. 1t was nearly
bali an honr before | left my room, but
there the cat was still at play with the
mouse, which was neither much weaker
or less able to run than when first
saw it. Now here is a case of distinct
animal amusement and waste of time.
the result partly, no doubt, of well-fed
/ idleness. If my neighbOr himself in
stead of my neigbOr's cat, had been
playing with the mouse, of course |
should have felt it duty either to
write to the Times or draw the atten
! a.. s IL, hn
! of cruelty to animals to the matter. As
| il was, ! did neither, but it led me to
! think of the amount of time spent Tor
wasted p by animals of all kinds in
simple play or pleasure uncOnuected
in any way with more material enjoy
ment.
Dogs, though not able to squander
their time over a newspaper, will
spend hour after hour seated at win
dow, watching all that passes in the
street or, in the evening, regarding a
mouse hole, not with the slightest idea
of gain or profit, but merely as an
agreeable means Of passing the time.
Then there are the long cOntinued
flight of tame pigeons about our houses,
the quadrille of the house fly across
our ceilings, the gambolling of gnats,
and the lowering in the sun of those
bright colored, .two-winged flies we
sometimes call drones. Even the pa
tent ass, that beast of many woes, is
naturally rather light hearted, though
his ordinary relaxation seldom goes
beyond a roll in a dusty road when off
duty but those who have kept and
cared for one know we'll enough his
loud, clear bray of honest recognition
he is attached while an under work
ed joyous donkey, fond of sport, has
been even seen to indulge in hunting
pigs round farmyard, catching and
holding them by the tail, until their
squeals brought the owner to the
rescue.
No boy out OF school shows his sense
of happiness or freedom more strongly
than a horse or pony does when first
turned loose for a run at grass, tearing
round the paddock, now stopping for
a moment to snort and fill his lungs
with the fresh open air, and then with
kick uR of the heels, continuing his
galiop. These spells of play last longer
with some horses than others, depend
ing often upon the length of time the
animal has been stable-fed. A horse
that is turned out daily merely trots
off a few yards, with merry laugh,
! before beginning to nibble the fresh
sweet grass. In their stable the amuse-
ments of horses too often take the form
/ of wauton mischief, or some such
''hGrse-play" as unlocking a stable
jacket and tearing it up, or biting holes
in their own clothing, kicking their
stalls to bits, etc. while a very play
] ful pony has been known to indulge in
pulling the feathers out of tame pig
cons tails. Talking of pigeons re minds
me of the quantity of small talk, gossip
or scandal INDUCED in by them and
certain other birds before retiring for
the night or beginning work for the
day. House sparrows, starlings and
rocks are all very ehatty at these times +;
while birds who lead more solitary
lives nearly always end aud begin the
day with song of joy.
Sea birds probably have their notes
of pleasure, but they are rather Gear
I lyhsh," if may coin an adjective, rs a
rule, and much given TO scolding and
fault finding, reminding one in this of
the domestic goose and swan. The
little tame gull aforesaid is most anus
ing in this way, indulgiDg in long fits
/ of angry scoldings at intruding cats OF
boys who chance to stop and look
through the palings of his back gar
den, and not having good word for
even policeman. 1t is said that ga
cat may look at a king but no matter
/ how respectfully a cat looks at Jack
she is sure TO draw down upon her head
/ a storm of abuse. But even Jack has
his pastimes, one of which consists il
making little Dautical experiments with
lanything that will float, such as stick:
and straws in his pan of water.
We know that III hot weather men
delight to pack their carpet bags and
take long Journeys to the sea, with q
, view chiefly 10 taking headers into it
Similarly, mutqtis ,nNtandis, porpoises