The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1893-05-24
'POSSUM AS a PET.
Story of Ny Introduction to and Al
quaintance with columbus"

Quaintauce with columbus.
Both the possum and the coon make
good pets, and they have the advantage
for their owner in being rarely kept as
pets, and for that reason being objects
of great interest to their owners
frierds-especially if those friends are
boys.
friend once gave me half-grown
opossum that he had captured. and |
proceeded with some caution to become
acquainted with my treasure
Mr.. 'POssum was very dead during
the introduction, and with much cere
mony ! laid him out to await resurrec-
ton. After while pair of bright
black eyes became visible. and when |
approached, two rows of shining white
teeth became visible also. and l con-
Guided to form acquaintance at dis
lance. ! was sure there must be a
heart behind such seeming intelligence,
and ! tried to gain access to it by means
Of an apple, impaled on a long, sharp
stick. Hours elapsed before hunger
prevailed, and he began to accept my
overtures of friendship.
/ bestowed upon him the name of Co
lumbus, in honor of the donor. After
a few days he took food from my hand
without fear but codld never lay
finger on him while he was live pos
sum. | was anxious to reach more
familiar footing. for | wished to exam
inc some peculiarities of bodily con-
struction. but | could not see my way
clear to such a proceeding
He never left his box when any one
was in sight or hearing, but when I
was absent some time, | would return
to hear "a wonderful scurrying around
the room. All was silent when the
door opened. After search | would
find my pet in some far corner under
the bed or a chair.
1t puzzled me at first to know how to
handle the creature, but ! soon solved
the mystery, A little tap on the head
with a stick, and, true to nature. he be-
came dead 'possum instantly. Then,
taking hold of the natural handle, his
long, stout tail, which would curl
around my finger as it would around
the limb OF tree, I would carry him
fearlessly anywhere.
Once he came TO" prema turely, and
closed his sharp teeth on my hand in a
manner as unpleasant as it was uneX-
pected. After that | always carried
the little stick in my other hand, using
ii to remind him that ne was to await
my pleasure in waking up.
Gradually he was allowed more lib
erty. and sat in his box on the porch
for hours, ate perSimmonS and basked
in the sunshine. When evening came
he always seemed glad of shelter and
the warmth Of a bright hearth fire: but
one evening his box was tenantless
My pet had gone. I regretted the fact
that our acquaintance had not been
more intimate. our relations more cor
dial. but had no chance to renew the
friendship. My search among the
neighboring persiInmon trees was una
vailing. For days lett in the vacant
box tempting display OF eata bles. but
my efforts were in vain-Columbus
never returned. philadelphia Times.
interesting Pcople.
what makes person intereStinr?"
II cannot be intellectual brilliancv. for
we have all known men whose minds
were stored with the best thought of
the world. yet wholly failed to interest
us, women whose brains were developed
by the widest culture. Vet were unable
To appear other than dry-as-dust cata-
logueS of knowledge. Think Of the
people who interest YOU and study
their qualities and now few YOU find
possessing inst the same traits. 1t IS
all a matter of magnetic soul currents.
possibly. Why not? We can hardly
dispute that some human bodies convey
electricity much more readily than
others In almost any gathering Of
dozen persons at least one will he
found who possesses this strange power.
the touch Of whose hand can cause Il
sensation like that of touching an cleo
tric battery. i there anything impos-
slhle in the theory that Souls have their
electric currents which pass more az
less freely to and fro according to the
individual power as conductor? Then
we have hut Ia assume that the person
who Interests" US Is one whose soul
current mlngles freely with our own
This i. perhaps. more satisfactory ex-
PLANTATION than the more commonly re-
ceived one Of animal magnetism. a
quality on I lower plane and infinitely
less subtle in character Boston Ad-
vertiSer.