The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1893-04-09

20 see what the mischievous chap bad en-
ms mind. de thumped on the down steps. and
S1rode over 70 where the oysters were He
stopped close to them, and piped % my
whistle as natural as I could have done il
myself Every oyster popped its shell wide
open, out the Instant the surprised bivalves
saw the crow standing there, shut went the
smells again with a snap that showed either
great fright on the part Of the oysters OF
great disgust.
The crow stood still minute, looking
gooq ueaI surprised himself, and then be
erieu to fool the oyster again. He whistled,
oat the oysters were onto him and STAYED
smut. All but one. That one was the
young oyster. He hadn't cut his eye teeth
YET and when the crow whistled the second
time ne opened up again. Whether he would
nave closed up right away or not l have
10 means OF knowing but, anyhow, be
never got the chance, for the she'll had no
Sooner opened than the crow pounced on the
foolish young oyster and dragged him out
quicker than flash.
The oysters mother must have tumbled
90 the fact that something was wrong on
the outside, for she opened her she'll little
and peered out. just rs the crow was COB
ing her young one. Then she few wide
open, and with one tremendous spring, lit
on the crow and had him by the neck.
she close her shell on him SO tight that It shut
his wind right off, and all he could do was
kicK and gasp and flop around the cellar
ike hen with its head Off. l had hard
work corraling the crow, he pitched around
SO, and In another minute he'd have been a
goner, but ! finally got hold Of him aud
yauked the Infatuated oyster away from
bis throat. put her back IN her place. and
hnrried out of the cellar with the crow he
spent all the rest of the day in the corner
yonder swearing and jawing to himself,
Va p1A I, Of
you've got to do to-day If you want to see
him make tracks is to sic down and or
der dozen oysters on the shell and let him
hear you.
- took to noticing him after that that
the oyster the crow had robbed OF her
young one didn't open up when l wEistled
them for feed, although she had always
Deem the llveliest one among the lot.
FINALLY | cosxed her to open her shell one
day, and l was startled to see that she was
wasted almost to, skeleton. 1t struck me
as the truth then, and nobody can make me
believe anything else as long as 1 live, that
tne oyster was pining, actually pining for
her lost young one. She was all broke up,
and it made me feel bad to see her.
THAT family Of oysters used to have
neap OF fun catching rats. You wouldn't
believe how them oysters used to enjoy
themselves catching rats. Steel traps were
never in it with them when it came TO do
ing up rata. The way they did it was TO
open their shells every now and then and
ley low. II there is anything rat likes 1t
Is fat, juicy oyster, right out of the shell.
1t wouldn't be long after these oysters had
set themselves, so to speak, before maybe
half dozen rats would come out Of their
hiding places and sneak up toward the tempt
ing oysters, A few seconds later half a
dozen oyster shells would come together
with snap ard each shell would hold
rat with its head smashed.
my oysters were all expert rat cetChers
but the big she one could beat them ell.
After her bereavement. of course, she gave
up all that sport, and so one day, maybe
week after her young one was made away
with, when l was in the cellar and saw her
lying with her she'll wide open, waiting
while tremendous big rat stole cautiously
toward her, | almost shouted with 10Y, for
thought she was getting over her grief
and was coming around to be one Of us
again. l almost held my breath, and lis
tened to hear her shell soap together and the
dying squeal Of the old rat. l never saw an
oyster look 80 happy as she did, thin as she
was. The rat got there at last, aud stuck
his nose between the oysters shells. But
they didn't come together. The bereaved
oyster lay calmly there and let the rat
drag her out and crunch the life out Of her,
there and then. Premeditated, as sure's
you're born! Too much grief and life
nothing but burden. Deliberate suicide
II there ever was one, sir! Sad, hut
nothing surerp