The Bennington banner. [volume] (Bennington, Vt.) 1858-1894, 1889-09-05

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and seemed again to tie eye an earthly
para ii Q but even here the serpent lurk
ed, for, 10 ! there wen now rattlesnaket
everywhere.
"oh, yes I" aid tts mainland neigh
bors, I'VE know about them, Their isl
and is still quite covered with water and
they are washed out. The waves that
brought the reptiles broke on your ISL
and. You must anger them and drive
them away; but look out for them, and
wait little until lhey kill the rats,"
Kill the rats they did ,and the cats also.
Even poor Dine became victim.
"Now we will madden the snakes, "
said the nelghbors. ''Lct us all provide
ourselves with long, palmetto pole, and
when we go for one of the rattlers, we
must not xiii it, but keep poking it
about, taking care always that it does
not coil itself so as to spring, as is its in
stinct, and tease it in this way until it is
angry enough to turn tail and crawl
hastily away. You need not be afraid
of them for they can spring only when
coiled, and Shen not more than twice
the length of heir own short, clumsy
bodies"
This plan was tried, and it succeeded.
The 'rattlers" ttok themselves of, every
one, and were SEN no more,
The Hunts wer, no nearer the attain
ment Of "wealth and happiness" than
they were when they lived in Connecti.
cut. They went back to their cabin,
planted the few sweet potatoes that had,
by constant vigilance, Eeen saved from
the depredations OF the rats, and sat
down on the shore to fish while they
waited for the precious esculent to
grow.
One day, over from the signal station,
near the great revUving light, came a
yatch. The young men on board landed
on the island. They were seeking in
formation in regard To the force and ef-
fects of the great storm in different
places along the shore; and they had
been told by fisherman that they could
procure cat on that dune for the child
rem in the lighthouse. They told the
Hunts they had coms to make friendly
call to see ii this wen 80. ..s
Mother Hunt striigbtway proceeded
to give the history o. all the cats in de-
tail, even to bring forth the bag, now
perforated with rat loles, and display
ing the stones that had come from all
parts of the world. 81 can't bear to look
at them,n said she "they make me
homesick for the ston! hills Of old Con-
necticut," . .... ..
"And would you ike to go back ?"
queried one of the young men.
That has been the dearest wish OF
my heart since stated out from there
years ago." said Mother Hunt, with
deep sigh. ..-
"Well, my good woman, these stones
are of considerable value. l will pay
you enough for them to carry you all
back to Connecticut, by the steamer
from Galveston, in good shape, and to
buy you little home when you get
there" ... ............ r.........,. -.
mot that rubbish toat came 30 near
being at the bottom OF the sea in bag
along with mess of Kittens? We would
have given them to you for the asking,
They are OF no use to us, said Mr.. Hunt.
"They are fiue neurological speci-
MEMS" replied the young man, 1t is a
valuable collection. Here are gold and
silver, maachite, crystal, and various
precious stones embedded in their native
rock"
e.. wen, L UuOuBuI luey mIBht oe Vi
some use some time" said Mother Hunt;
'but | didn't think it would come to
this. What a pity the poor, lone old
woman who gave them to Wlllie,l dead
now, after keeping the stones all those
wears and have no benefit from them.
o light we to take the n ley?'
"You can have no compunction on
that score," said the young lieutenant,
''The poor woman left no relatives; be-
sides, the stones passed into your sons
hands as a gift freq her, pQ}BRtl%Sg
g88GGGG Be fpSrTovided for Your .oturn to
your old home" .....
SO it was not long before the Hunt
family, with their scant belongings,
were safely on board a staunch vessel
homeward bound, TO find health wealth
and happiness" in the old native town
in Eastern Connecticut.
You have heard of old people who are
full of stories. II you think Mother
Hunt is not, stroll into her kitchen,
which is like picture Of neatness, des-
pite her eighty years, and listen to her
adventures, as l have.-Mrs. Annie A.
Preston, in Independent.