The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1885-09-02
These Squirrels.

Say, Tom, the kittens are gone"
announced my brother, Charlie, peer
ing into the manger where we had, a
few days before, discovered Madam
Puss and her family snugly installed.
is puss there % / asked.
Yes, and she seems awful lone
some," was the reply.
After a few moments consultation,
we decided to ask Pat if he had seen
anything of the kittens.
Sure, they may have strayed away
in the night"
But they couldn't walk. They were
only three days DID," l objected.
"That's thrue, Mister Tom; but thin
cats cunnin cratur. To see wan
of thin blinkin' by the fire all day, ye'd
niver think they could make the noise
they do at night; and they'd be con-
cealin' their strength in the daytime to
use it at night" answered Pat.
Plainly there was nothing to be
learned from Pat.
After thinking it over for awhile,
Charlie suggested that we hunt up the
young ones. We started toward the
grove behind the barn, with vague
idea that people generally got lost in
forests, and that it would be quite pos
sible for the kittens to have lost them
selves in the grove.
"Maybe they have hid in the tree"
suggested Charlie.
"They couldn't get there" said 1.
"But Pat said they could do more in
the night" urged Charlie.
| was eleven years old, and was half
inclined to doubt Pats reasoning, the
more that l remembered hearing my
father eXclaim, when we announced
the discovery of the kittens:
" Goodness. we can't have four more
cats. l don't get any too much sleep
as it is, and an addition of quartette
to our nightly concert is not to be
thought Of"
Charlie was my junior by two years,
and his faith in Patrick was mistaken,
so he said
"I'm going up to see, anyhow" He
thrust his hand into the hole, and
pulled it out again, triumphantly shout.
ing, " What did l tell you? Here is
the "-he paused to examine his prize
and continued, in crest-fallen tone
"a young squirrel"
"Give it to me, and get the rest"
directed.
They were very young, and were
queer, fuzzy-looking animals. Charlie
and l examined them, and then the
thought struck me that we might give
them to the cat in place of her los
kittens.
We ran back to the barn and placed
them in the manger. Madam Puss
looked puzzled for moment, first gaz
ing at the squirrels, then at us, as il
hardly knowing what to do. But sht
soon decided, and, with comical purr
as if to say, . / suppose it is all right
but those children have certainly
changed" she drew the squirrels
toward her, and washed first one, theI
another, and finally went to sleep, witt
her strange family cuddled close to her
After that she took the best of carr
of her adopted children. The squirrels
grew, and began to climb out of the
manager and run around the barn
Madam Puss was at first distressed b,
this, but she soon got used to it, ant
seemed rather to take delight in he
precocious children, who could climb 81
,, much better than she could herself
Her first real trouble came when, afte
patient waiting, she caught mouse
and carried it to the barn in triumph.
The squirrels looked on in perfect in
difference, and absolutely refused t.
touch the dainty morsel. Puss wa
surprised; but few days later sh
brought in bird, and when they pail
not the slightest attention to it sh'
was in despair. Had she, then, brough
up family which was to be OF no u.s.
to the world? For a day or two SHIT
tried everything-meat, bits OF fish
pieces of cold potato, until some happ,
inspiration led her to take them an al
mond which had fallen from the dinner
table. After that she carried them bit
of bread, corn and nuts, until the,
grew large enough to come to the hous
themselves. Then they ranged tn
place from cellar to garnet, dropping
: asleep in mothers work-basket, il
fathers pockets and in bureau drawers
| until they became a perfect nuisance
AT last the crisis came; one OF then
went to sleep in fathers boot, and bl
his toe severely when he went to put
on. The squirrels were sent to Nel
: York to be sold. and Charlie and | eacl
T had pair of skates from the proceed
of the sale.-Alldn Formdn, IN Han
, per'S Young People.