Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1894-08-04

his child.
While the child lay painting on his
pillow there was lively scene under
the big circus tent where great many
things were going on at once. 1t is only |
with one part of the circus that this
story has to do, and that is known as
a side show. 1t was the tent of the |
beautiful and renowned Nine. Selika |
Houssan, the oriental snake charmer. |
This lady was advertised in mammoth |
posters as the Queen of Snake Charm
ers, and she drew great crowds, for |
this was really the part of the show
that answered fully to all its adver-
tised attractions. Nine. Houssan was
Young and beautiful, and handled her
snakes in the most fearless and expert
manner. She stood within railing,
and close to her was glass case filled
with baby snakes that looked like sill
yer ropes as they twined about blan-
lSet in which they were wrapped. She
wore snakes on her wrists, clasping
them like bracelets. Big boa-con-
strictors wreathed themselves about
her white neck and shoulders. She
would lift their flat heads and they
would dart their forked tongues against
her cheek, when she said in her pretty
voice "lSiss me-" Then she would lay
them on the shelf that ran outside of the
railing, the crowd would fall back in
panic, but the reptiles hung there
slightly moving their protruding heads,
but not offering to slip away.
Now" said the madame, taking
out of it's box beautiful, brilliant
striped snake of the variety known to
naturalists as the "Colubres Eximius,"
or house-snalSe. 81 show you my so
unique pet, my beauty. He loafes
me; he knows what l say. See, how
smart he is-the nice fellow"
Madame put the snake through his
PAGES, and he was indeed pet and
prodigy. He saluted her with so many
varieties of oriental kisses that the
Young fellows wanted to strangle him.
Then he playfully bit her finger and
was scolded, whereupon he sulked.
Now you shall hear heem sing"
said madame, and at her prompting he
gave little chirping sound that an
swered very well for song, and was
curiously sweet and fascinating.
Now l shall show you something SO
very strange, so uncommon" said the
suake-charmer and she tied n bright
blue satin ribbon around the arched
neck of the dappled snake. "You
watch. you see. What you call trans
formation scene-so."
The ribbon turned from bright blue
to a pale color. Soon it was intensely
purely white.
What does it?" yelled the crowd.
, 1T is-how you call it?-electrit
5 snake"
Then to questions by the more curl
, Gus of the crowd she informed then
, glibly that the pet had come to then
: when they were performing in Guiana
g that it was native of the Brazils, an,
that it's classic name was "Trigono
r cephalus mutus," and that the native
i of that part of the world regarded i
as sacred. All of which was rode
montade out of madames textbook ol
the education Of snakes. But the peo
i pie swallowed it all and felt that the,
were getting their moneys worth.
Next madame laid' her pet on tn
v shelf while she turned the baby snake
loose.
The crowd lost sight of the ribbor
decorated pet in the excitement OF SET
ing the new excitement, and so di
7, madame herself, and it was not unit
N she had finished her performance fc
IL that time and reached out for tn
pythoness and the anaconda, that sh
u missed it.
n There was an instant clearing of tn
ST place, people tumbled over each oths
III in their haste to get away, but nevt
=, Of
Or rest upon her 80 unique pet" He ha
vanished from her horizon forever.
40 The doctor, who had given Davy u
is his father and mother and few so
D. rowing friends, sat by his pillow ar
III famed him necessarily to keep tt
rs breath of life in his frail little bod
II. There was no sound of talking
weeping, but an utter silence whit
ed was suddenly broken by the swe'
ey song of bird.
OF They all heard it and on each it hi
Us peculiar influence, something u
oy canny, like the speech of mamma
ST. things. But Davy was transhgure
or He lifted himself on his pillow an
es. with incredible strength, screamed
es, the top of his voice:
r "Angel-my boof'l AngelH'
we The astonished parents looked
to each other. Then, before they cou
py speak or move, strange thing hf
ad pened, so strange that 1. its historic
ne. will not ask you to believe it witho
of the evidence of stranger things til
! 1t have previously occurred. A loI
he sinuous, brilliantly-marked sna
The darted in through the low open w
vas dow and sought Davy's bed. Tht
Ind present fell back in fright. I
'es- next moment it was clasped in
childs arms, was caressing every l
of his wasted face, singing that we
song that sounded like harp's vib
tion and twining itself about the ii
his body with loving clasp. And Da'
was restored before their very ey
vas saying over and over again in
fln Tx. ATNfr