Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1886-06-10
QUEER CHILDREN.
How They Were Brought Up and Finally
Ran Away.


How They Were Brought Up and Finally
Ran Away.
''Oh. mother, come quickly and see
what have found" cried Howard, as
he hurried up the stairs and rushed in
to the sitting-room, holding his hat in
his hands.
"Guess what I've found" said he, as
he held his hat for inspection. Of
course we children hurried to look in
but hastily drew back and exclaimed:
'Oh, ratsr'
mo. indeed, they are not Guess
again." said Howard.
AS we looked more carefully, we saw
three little animals rolled up like
ball. Their eyes were shut, and their
bodies were smooth and without any
fur. OF course we could not tell what
they were.
'sWhy," says Howard, 'sthey are lit
tie gray squirrels, and I found them in
an old pine tree near the old mill"
Their mother had evidently left them,
or been killed by some cruel hunter.
Howard had heart full of love for all
Gods suffering ones, and Immediately
adopted these orphans for his own.
The next day was one of great anxiety
to the foster mother. He must find
some way to feed these queer children.
He first tries milk with a spoon and
without a spoon, with straw and
without a straw, but all to no avail,
and now is about ready to give up. But
dear grandma, sick in another room,
calls to see the queer children. So
Howard brings them and puts them
carefully in cushioned chair before
her. After looking at them awhile she
said: Howard, have plan for you.
You know my old cat that has lost all
her kittens but one; well, think she
would be glad to adopt these queer
children in place of her missing ones.
Howard was not long in getting his
hat, or in getting the cat and her one
lone kitten. He brought them to
grandma, who placed them in the
chair, and when quietly sleeping, he
placed beside the cat the orphan chill
dren of the squirrels Old Tabby
opened her eyes and looked sharp at
them for a few moments, then she
carefully washed each one, and fed
them, and apparently concluded to
take them for her own.
Howard was very glad to give up
these queer children to so good a
friend as old Tabby proved to be.
One died in few days, but not
through any lack of care on old Tab
by's part. Never had children more
devoted mother or one more thorough
ly interested in their welfare. She tried
to bring them up as model cats; but,
alas! like some other mothers, the
children didn't do as they were told.
New trials awaited her every day with
these queer children. Sometimes they
would climb up the chairs and COM
mence to gnaw, but old Tabby would
hasten across the room and give them
good smart box across the ears,
seeming to say: stop all these tricks!
You must be cats. -.a
They grew very rapidly, although
the kitten was much the larger, and
was left to care for herself long before
these new children.
At one time the mother cat brought
for the dinner of the kitten little red
squirrel, not mistrusting it might be
distantly related to the other children.
Weeks passed by, and they were now
full-grown squirrels.
Tabby had gone with grandma to
her own home, few rods distant.
Every day, however, she came to see
her children. and would lie for hours
beside their wire cage, or frolic with
them about the room if they happened
to be out of their cage.
The autumn was now approaching;
the nuts had begun to ripen on the
trees. The squirrels had occasionally
been allowed to run on the nut tree
near the house, but had always re-
turned.
At last, one bright Sunday morning
in October, when every thing is so
beautiful out-of-doors, these queer
children of the forest planned their es-
cape. In the early dawn they got
away from their prison-bars and ran
toward the nut tree. We called them,
but in vain. They ran little way,
looking around when we called them,
not content to rest on the nut tree,
they fastened on, faster and faster, to
the thick wood beyond, and when once
there all trace of them was lost They
had become handsome pets, with their
long, bushy tails, and had learned
many cunning tricks.
Our queer children have never come
back to US, but every autumn gray
squirrels come to the old nut tree near
our dwelling, and we fancy they know
US, and have heard of the soiourn of
their ancestors in our midst. Christian
Union.