Daily Republican. [volume] ([Wilmington, Del.]) 1874-1890, 1885-04-28
HICKEY AND TEE PHOTO.
6RAPHER.

nlCAEY AND THE PHOTO.
aRAPHER.
When Was girl Of eighteen I wa
given young squirrel for pet he wa
very pretty with his rich red fur, bushJ
tall and bright black eyes, and II wa
delighted TO have him. At first b,
slept great deal like other babies do
and II took him out Of his hay bed 4
show him OF to visitors, he would yawr
with his funny little round pointed
tongue poked out Of his mouth, stretch
blink his eyes, and finally Civ Ing few
injured squeaks would whisk his feath
cry tall over HE eyes, curl himself into
ball and 60 to sleep again.
By degrees he became more lively and
1 must confess, less amiable he knew
me quite we'll and would allow no one
else to handle him II was the custom
In our family for some one of US to read
aloud every evening whilst the others
worked, and MAstOr Mickey enjoy cd
tn time very much. He used to dive
into my pockets, where always kept
hazel nuts for him, take ono nut, run
up my mothers back, sit on her head,
crack and eat 1t, and when the greedy
little creature could eat no more he
would still carry up nuts 10 his fortress
and bury them In the coils OF my
mothers luxuriant hair until sometimes
she found as many a. six slowed away
when she let down her long tresses ct
bed time.
Mickey took very great dislike to
one Of my sisters. She was Q timid
girl and he soon discovered that she
was afraid Of him; he used TO get naugh-
ty fits like o child sometimes, aud woe
betide poor Rachel II she was handy on
such occasions; he used to rush up her
skirts behind, bite one of her elbows,
and then spring round at the other,
and when slapped him would run
scolding up to the top of the window
curtains, fix his eyes on me, grunt, and
twitch his tail. After 1 had him for a
year, and he had grown much attached
to me and l to him, I married, and
shortly afterwards 1: accompanied my
husband with his regiment to India;
Mickey was much noticed everywhere,
AS there are no squirrels like these
common red English ones in India.
When the weather became very hot,
we went up to beautiful place In the
Himalaya mountains, called Simla,
(you children can find 1t in any good
atlas) here the usual amount Of inter-
est was caused by my pet. Our servants
thought him curiosity, and the other
English people liked him because he re.
minded them Of the glorious beech
WOODS In dear old England. One
morning was cleaning Mick's cage in
the verandah, when two or three strange
dogs, who were passing our garden gate
with their matters, rushed In barking
furiously. My poor little squirrel was
30 terrified that he eprapg out Of the
open door Of the cage, and WAS out Of
sight In few seconds. down amongst
the cedars and ferns on the mountain
side.
l ran after him and was quickly
followed BY two or three servants, but
after scrambling about In the thick un.
derwood for nearly two hours, we had
to give up the search rs hopeless, and 1
am afraid l must confess TO shedding
some tears over the loss of my faithful
little favorite. / offered q reward, but
time went on, one week, two, q month.
three months, and no news of poor
Mickey. One morning our head Mus
sulman butler, a fine, handsome fellow.
came to me in great excitement and
said that he had seen q squirrel. Just
like the one that the mem sahib" had
lost In the verandah of photographer
who lived the other side OF the bazaar,
and perhaps It was mine lin great ex-
element l ordered my sure. footed little
hill pony, Punch" to be sadd led
slipped on my habit, and was soon on
my way to the photographers.
The man, a bad tempered looking
fellow, with red hair, was standing
at his door when rode up his hands
were all stained with chemicals, and
besides were adorned by countless cuts
and scratches, enc Of which was bleed
ing now. The man wiped 1t with his
and looked crosser than
ever, and what was that close behind
him in the verandah? Why, q dirty
old cage and in it my Mickey with his
eyes fixed and his tail twitching, lust
Is he used TO behave when he had
successfully bitten Rachel's elbows. III
Jumped of Punch, threw the reins to
the Syce (groom), and forgetting all
about Rufus In my delight at seeing my
lost pet again, was running to the cage
There's my dear little Mickey ="
when the man very rudely pushed me
back. That squirrel is mine" he
said he was caught close here and
he il very wild, and though have pet
ted him for three months he bites my|
hands nearly off every time clean his
cage. No one can touch him he is so
ierce." thought for q moment and
then l said " Well, If 1 put my hands !
into the cage and take him out without
Ills biting me, will you believe ne and
let me take him home ?" The man
gave sort Of chuckle, and said OIL
yes, you're welcome to try, but warn
you, you had better not."
/ went to the cage, SPOKE to Mickey.
opened the door and held out nv hand:
he did not hesitate an ms. ant. but
'prang to the door, shifted at nv hand
ran up my arm and kissed my lips az ii |
he had seen me an hour ago. The pho
tograper's face was a study he was so
astonished at such o wonderful exhibi.
tion OF memory, instinct, and affection
In such small animal. Poor Mickey.
he lived for several years, and then
one morning he was low-spirited and
went to sleep, and when l took him
some bread soaked in cafe au lait.
which he was very fond of, / found the
little furry ball stiff and cold, and the
poor little fellow was dead. MEG.