Daily Yellowstone journal., 1891-12-27
IT K,EW 10 FEAR.

The story Of a BRET Acquaintance with
a Friendly N"uug Mouse
We first became acquainted on "A
rainy night ia October. | was sitting
at my fire when / heard a faint ru>tiing
in some paper that ! had dropped be
side my chair. and CHANGING down !
saw the bright eyes Of little mouse.
/ say a little mouse, for this one was
50 small that il was evidently not fully
grown. and. as | soon saw, was moi yet
afraid of man.
II sat quietly watching me for a full
minute, when quietly extending my
arm / caught it in my hand. reached
for the plate Of cakes at my elbow,
crumbled a morsel and put il before
my tiny captive. II was trembling a
little. but presently, treasured. it began
10 nibble at the cake. pausing every
now and then 10 glance at me with is
bright, dark eyes.
Then. having further refreshed il 10y
"A drop of water protfrred pa "a large
pen, point. / placed my little prisoner
in a temporary stronghold formed of
an iukstaud. "a papcrweight and "A
stamp box. from which 10 ~1t Watching
mo without the slightest appearance Of
uuea~iur~, or desire To- -~cap-
Ny loneliness rheerri even boy tur
presence OF ,ui~ scrap OF life. ! resumed
my writing, pau~iug every unH and
4 then to nod and -pouk 20 my guest
10 was with real regret that ] f-it /
must rrl-a>. the little r-ature when
my work was finished and it had am
other feast OF cake. ! heard rhe clock $
warning that IL grew late. With "a part
ing smooth Of it, satiuy skin with my
finger. ! put il ou tIe iopr and watched
10 steal away under tha waiu>cptiuE Of
the room. and saw what had escaped
my observation before. that the mouse
wa, lame 100 one limb
OF rnur-e never expected 10 ~ee it
again. but ou the following night VA,
glad 20 see 10 come creeping back about
my feet. when ] placed it once more ou
my table. This time, feeling rather
ashamed that ! bad offered DO the iu-
dignity before. ! made uo attempt 20
hold it iu prison, but allowed il 10
wander about the books and papcrs a.
It would. which it did ia So gentle and
uuobrrusive a way a. not 10 disturb me
or the articles with which the table
was strewn.
Ny pen seemed to greatly excite its
wonder, and a. it hurried over the pa
! per. jamie, a. / named my mouse.
would sit close TO the sheet watching
the letters from beneath the mysteri-
ious. swiftly travelling engine.
All that winter jamie and | kept each
other company every night, two boon
companions, who never bored each
other with conversation, and yet were
the better for the companionship. We
had many a jolly midnight feast to
cether, when jamie sat upon the edge
of my plate, accepting such morsels as
/ profTered her, but eve guilty Of the
rudeness Of appropriating even a crumb
unlimited.
Poor little jamie, Her fate is un-
known 10 me. One night in early spring
Iflooked for her in vain. and many
nights after would glance up from my
writing at the faintest rustic in the
room. only 10 find that the wind was
the cause. or the falling Of an ember
from my fire. She came no more, and
though ! had no particular cause Ia
suspect him. | conceived an aversion "a
the household cat and always looked
away whenever he sat and licked hi>
chops before me. -Philadelphia Times.