The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1892-10-27

in preserving the peace among themselves
oesplte the strongest provocatlon we
could apply TO them. They would
walk tight ropes, climb poles - In
fact, do almost anything except fight.
But II they wouldn't fight for US we some
times fought for them Co settle disprted
points OF ownership. The white rats we're
all as much alike as so many peas, ana when
they got mixed up 1t was "a very difficult
matter for boy TO pick out his own par
tioulAr rat. 50 it frequently happened that
there were two claimants 90 the same rat,
and then the boy who could hit the hardest
got it. At lest7we hit upon plan for dis
tlnguishtng them by tying different colored
ribbons around their nscks.
The presence OF rats In the school did nos
assist the schoolmAstsr in maintaining that
rigid discipline which he regarded as es-
sential In order to get ths juvenile mind into
that condition best lifted for the ABSORPTION
OF the rudiments Of learning, SO he issued an
edlct 70 the effect that any boy caught
hrlsgtng a rat TO school with him would get
legged. BE had strong arm and when
ever he logged boy that boy was pain
fully conscious OF the fact for some time
sftsrward. In consequence rats in that
school bscume very scarce. But one day
hey whom he had niok-named Lucky
jim, /" because be used TO play lots OF tricks
withsut getting found out brought one
Of his rats 60 school with him aud slowed
him away In his desk. There happened to
be a hole in the desk for which Lucky
Jim" and bis jAok-knifs were responsible,
and the rat escaped to the floor, where the
eagle eye Of the sohoolmaster espied HIM
TOOK THE FLooGINe.
who brought that rat hereY' he thun..
dsred. "I'll give him something he will re-
member."
ar coursa thara vvaz M ravnoron and all
the boys rsjoiced over the notion that the
sohoolmsster had struck something that be
couldn't And out. But we didn't know what
were his resources.
''If the owner of that rat does not speak
up Ia one minute" he said with an emphasis
which assured us that he meant what he
said, every word Of IL, "I1lshavs the cat
brought In"
Each boy began turning over the cues
ton in his mind WHISTLER IL was worth while
taking fogzing from the schoolmaster to
save the life Of one white rat. Most Of us
speedily came to the conclusion that it
wasn't and that that particular rat was
doomed. But we hadn't found out what
sort Of a boy Lucky JIM was.
"That's my rat" be said, after thirty
seconds had gone by. land II you keep out
the cat I'll take the hogging.
II the schoolmaster had been the sort Of
would have said, "Bless you, my boy, you
are hero. You may bring your rat to
school as often as you like" But he wasn't
that kind of q schoolmaster. He Just
pitched in and gave LUCKY Jim" q jolly
good hiding with his stoutest birch. And a
lot Of the boys were small-soulsd enough to
thiok that Lucky Jim" had acted very
foolishly; that IS rats were very cheap at
that time and one was about as good ss
ARnfhar ha n "a fo OBJ ", hvr
keeping his mouth shut even il the cat did
gobble his rat.
STARTED IN HOUSEKEEPING.
For ons psar OF snow white rats built a
house out OF an empty grocery box, cover
lag the front with wire netting and making
the rear side door. Then to facilitate the
housekeeping and domestic arrangements Of
the couple l hxsd up long room near the
roof, with front and rear entrance and
with ali outside staircase descending to the
floor Of the box. In due time Mrs. White
Rat gave birth to steven little white rats
and as Mr.. hire Rat showed no disposition
TO share with his spouse any further the
burdens of domestic life l slowed
him away In bachslsr quarters again.
In the early stages Of their existence
the little rats which were confined TO a uest
wkioh Mrs Waits Rat had constructed out
Of paper, wool, hay and various odds and
ends az one end Of the housekeeping apart
ment, where they were screened from in
Snisitive scrutiny. II was q small nss.,
but as the eleven infantile rodents wouldn't
make one handful there was room for
all.
One day my little brother, who was nv
partner in the rat business, doing q good
share Of the work and getting very small
part of the profits, forgot to faEten the door
after he had cleaned up the rat house, and
something caused it TO swing open. sup
pose that Mrs. White Rat, although usually
OF a very amiable disposition, had walked
up III very bad humor that morning. Per-
haps some OF the little ones had been rest
less during the night and had insisted on
being fed oftener than was convenient,
Whatever the cause something had filled
her with an overwhelming desire to break
up housekeeping.
When / returned from school discovered
th6t she had taken advantage OF the oondi-
ton Of the door TO kick her little family
out eR the house, nest and all. At that time
her progeny hadn't tasted Of the joys and
sorrows OF existence for more than three
days and could hardly have made up their
minds whether life was worth living or not,
since they hadn't had a chance to see any
thing Of it, az their eyes were still closed
tight. found them ell sprawling on the
hoor, emitting most inRudible squeaks Of
dlsSaelsIacClon.
had placed the rat house on the table
and from the upper room to the floor the
distance must have bssn full four feet, but
as they we're ell squeaking and kicking l
concluded that none of them had received
any hurt. reconstructed the nest as best
could, placed all the little rats In it again
and close up the rear door tight. Then, in
accordance with the sort of teaching had
received fram the schoolmaster, right
eously chastised mypittle brother TO impress
upon him the necessity OF keeping the door
shut in future.
RESPONSIVENESS THE NESTS.
think that Mrs. White Rat must have
regarded my attempt at nest building with
scornful contempt, for no sooner was she
left 10 her own devices than she broke up
housekeeping again in the same summary
fashion by kicking the nest and its contents
out of the apartment which had taken
pains 10 construct with view TO the proper
conduct of her domestic affairs. But as the
rear door was closed she had to use the front
door this time, and consequently her fam
lily didn'5 get much of a tumble as they fell
only upon the floor OF the rat house.
thought that their mother had abandoned
them for good and was considering
whether it would not be the part Of mercy
TO drown them forthwith, when, to my as
constituent, Mrs. White Rat began to
build tho nest afresh. She worked very ex-
peditiousiy, and when she had finished the
job she made eleven trips downstairs and
eleven trips back again, and each latter
time she carried by her teeth one Of her