New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-12-17
JOE.
AN ALIEN AT HOME.

Ir belongs 70 thu ancient family OF Ravens ofte,
mentioned IN the Scriptures. and Ike them he h
as black as polished ebony. A strangers attention
| I, first attracted 10 this sleek glossy bird by hh
| flying low through the strsets-just Beyond reach
| OF a mans hand.
| lie Is called joe and was probably OF an "A,
! vcnturous disposition from the moment he peeoed
| out OF the shell, FOR he was only necgling when
hs fell out Of his nest. to be picked up aud PLACED
! in another rest where he Is cherished In way
! that Ills brothers ard sisters Could net even dream
| OF He was at cree admitted to the mos; intimate
| rotations fire. IS tie cats and dogs, to come ana
TO- to stay IL the house or roa.l OFT OF doors at
J Measure His wings have never been clipped, ana
| h, flies whithcrsoever he Will. often taking lone
| sweeps TO the mountains. and he spends hours
counting the shingles apparently, on other pecpl.s
! houses but like the lark he Is true 10 hcrse at
| le,st and comes back with cordial "TIclo,' He
! has a remarkable command Of language for Ii.
FAINT and keen perception OF the relation o. thnyS
for he stepped Mt into speech and tie pahcs Of
| human life The very Orst words he ever uttered
| were 20, dear. dear" Just what Maud was saying
| 10 her mother at the moment, ard now when
! things 20 wrong with Joe Re bewails them in the
| same way HIS voice Is rather thick and cultural
something Ike suiky parrots. but his uttcrance
IS entirely distinct. His tongue has never beel cut
and certain tender heart refuses to entertain the
possibility OF 1t.
J 10 Is very domestic In BIS tastes. AMI compan-
! i,nab,e with ether pets IN ana around the houee.
/ The only exception is ne!ghborins tan terrier
! Gyp who began their acquaintance by barking
! Extensively. In this matter ice manifests the
heather propensity Of bearing III vii! and holding
sr,,dge for hc refuses TO extend the claw OF fei.
! lowship to Gyp. On the contrary, he has devised
! WAYS and means Of read ring himself so obnox-
ious that unless the little dog feels especially In
fighting trim, he prefers to hold his peace and,
unlike the Samaritan pass by on the other side That
! IL Is not a race prejudice on Joc's part but merely
| tnliv
! for Aarmaduke mas,iff with whom he has great
! frollcs. Joe shows in everything broad, cosmo-
poiltan spirit and gives 10 his human friends tde
sincere nsttery Of imitation, and since In Rome he
sees the Romans walk he too, forsooth, viii keep
! to the ground IN so far as winged creature may.
So he waddles swiftly about with sort OF llmpin3
gait evidently holding himself to be every inch Q
men.
| lie will prance up TO Marrnaduke with menace
! In voice ard manner; the challenge Is promptly ac-
ceptcd and the chase begins. Joe uses his feet a.
long as safety allows then he flies up and SELLING
his opportunity alights the dogs back. Some
| times he is shaken OFF. and RECEIVERS himself with
| much chatterlng but oftener he secures such nrn
! "trip on the big shoulders that Marmaduke is COM
peeled 10 bear his burden of Black Care through
many a bound and gyra,oh The other day Joe
carried piece Of meat 10 pile OF small stones
abou: four feet high and pushed . INFO crevice to
| hide 1t. Marmaduke. !. seems. was watching tie
proceeding from afar; he waited until the deposit
was duly made. and then suddenly bounced upon
the scene of action. Joe. taken uaawares was put
to flight. only TO return with seedlings and sharp
attacks that made his anita gcn,st call truce. ana
suspend tho friendly host:lities for brief space.
! They contended through several rounds for the
/ coveted morso. but the dos was gaining on him
Joe resorted strategy Lighting on the TOP of the
pie he seized such stones che after another, as he
could grasp with his bill and, flying high. he let
them drop with such sure aim poor Niimaduke
that he soon succumbcd to the aerial method. lie
took II all In good part, however, Ike brave
solder. admitting that al! Is fair in love and war
With the pcv;try On the place Joe Is on the pest
of terms struttng about among them as II 20 that
manner born. They play with him as long as he
likes but Il Is alv avs he who takes the initiative
and is the aggress5r favor'te trick OF his Is to
catch Il hen b. the tail and be drag6sd around
af;er her In her efforts TO escape from her mis-
chcvous playmate. When his bod loosens he rolls
on the Grass and chuckles loudly with every
appearance OF being very much amused.
He IS fond OF the llte kitten and they go through
with all sorts Of drollercs. There Is also fuii-
crown kitten IN the village that Is great crony OK
his: they play tag and hide and seek. and In spite
Of many sham battles have secretly an excellent
understandings Joc's fealty the friends or hiS
adoption strong that he does not depend IN the
Ieag, upon his own black brotherhood. He may be
civil when he meets tGem On the WING, ou' Deyoho
that he pays attention to them.
He undoubtedly makes distinction between tho
.hem nor talks 10 them but and then he Sc
,ects one as being worthy OF guard Of honor
consisting Of hmeelf-and he can produce such en-
impression when he 'focks by himself as Loro
Dundreary would say. advancing. retreatlng' cir
cling and ner-circling. that favored stranger
who walks abroad personally conducted by Joe, 10
quite In the position of the lnfanta OF New-forS
last spring under the escort Of Troop A. Ana since
we know that beauty lies In the eye OF the behooer
how interesting II would be to ascertain what an
the morta! charms that appeal 20 crow auth"@-
Like al, his species Joe has coyetous eye II ss
can only he made TO understand that In human
society, which he enjoys so much II Is not conslu.
cred nice TO steal he will surely try 70 hncS,ss
thimbes and scissors no mater how tempting ,Ss
StYn direction may be the ceremony before HE
bath Every morning he renders tribute 10 ~;
The day before the way Of pennies and The IKE
and also goen gains These heb he brings S,o se
w wany Of the BATH ' THIS is tie ordi Of rsnanea
on After they have been skhmned "a ana him. ana
with snt heart he makes a M,nd mother has
told him a great many times tina, ne must n no.
touch e clio pins one gy hs Is% 2" Turn
ing around she saw him balancing himself Win OK.
tended wings and holding out toward nsT ens
looked uo ne began to laugh boIsterousy. ss-
He likes be In the steam and stress o. %a sbs
eaniva!en II the housewives back is turned on III;
laundry work r h ne h s rm C aeta tub shns
oAt from the suds any small article he can manage
and trailing the dripping thing to another tuo, ne
becomes seriously intent upon tle process OF rms
ing holding II fast In his bill and Tapping II IN ana
out Of the clear water When the CLONES are huag
out on tho line dry IL is his delight: particularly
in hgh wrd. to seize a loose end and swing upon
4" ts :, his diet Joe s omniferous. and Win MN
"r.ol digestion waits On appetite 1t may De pc
ca,,ro ne has some KNOWLEDGE OF culinary art ~ ~
niece 81 salt meat given him he immedity carries
II TO the cup of drinking water always Kept ior MN
on Tho floor and puts IL In TO soak. covering " II
possible He goes to II from time TO time, turning
10 hut no
!, t ,rosh enough TO suit his palate. He takes any
crust of bread to his cup and makes that SOFT De.
fore eating IT, often when bit OF FOOD is giVeim
Him from the table ne walks on with II 70 hiae ~
sn,,evvh ere in the room AS long as any one says
~ M coo II ioer' he will drag II from that place
az concealment and laboriously seek another ana
this not once. but dozen timss. :. =, ,,,,as non.