The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1895-10-18
ANSELM'S RABBIT.
..Rnt what Is the user,

charm in lie, in true lie, is precisely
that it is useless. A lie is its own rev ard,
its own pleasure. What usel AS though
Anselm-Cousin Anselm, you know-had
been Influenced by any motive the day he
benevolently invited US to help eat his
famous rabbit. You of course remember
Anselm's rabbitg''
To tell the truth, did not remember it
at ALL Ny interlocutor was a southerner
from the far south, liar from excess of
Imagination and skeptical as all liars are,
for they believe only in their own lies. He
is an agreeable talker, however, and his
fancy gallops so gayly along that his
tongue has difficulty to keep pace with it.
He begins a story, forgets it and sud
denly replaces it with another. So without
occupying my mind any further with the
subject on t1hich we started I prepared to
listen to the adventures of Cousin Anscln.
and his rabbit:
You don't seem to recall it. Well
never mind. 1t was one day last year. I
had risen carly, as is the habit of all our
shopkeepers, and sold nothing 1 was
standing on the doorstep with you or some
one else deciding about the weather when
Anselm went by and said, How do you
like rabbit cooked?
''' Mon Dieul Potted, with a great deal
of thyme and wild thyme, replied, and
think I said bit of orange peel as big
as the nail.
So Good 1t just happens that I was
looking for you to ask you to cat some pot
ted rabbit with me at the Bastion.'
"Potted rabbit at the Bastionl
'tThose words alone made my mouth
water. One is so comfortable there, far
from ones wife, for the meekest of mon in
our town would defend this peaceful refuge
with Mohanmedan ferocity against an in
n Tho OH ho
serves as both dining room and kitchen,
and one ca1 sit and watch his breakfast
simmer, AID the Goals in the oven glow,
dim and Gle out with last hot flame,
while outside in the scraggy pines OF the
slope a few parched grasshoppers croak
despairingIy.
When shall we eat our potted rabbi
tomorrow:
What hastel Testing aside, y1ster-
day l visited tie rabbit hutch, and there is
q mother who will have her little ones in
two days. 1t is a precocious breed. and We
will date the breakfast for five weeks from
now
well. in five weeks, said I, trife
set back. During these five weeks / did
not find leisure to forget the rabbit,
1.-The rext morning Anseln cane to
bring the latest news.
six superb lutte rabbits had arrig ed
one especially, all gray with pink nose.
already moved his ears like his father and
mother at She sight of cabbage STALK.
He was the one we would cat.
1.-Two days later it was another MISTER
The male, in jealous fury, had deyoured
mis- progeny. They had to imprison him
under q basket with heavy stone On it
''Three little rabbits had fallen victims
70 this modern Saturn, but by q lniracu-
lous chance the gray one with the pink
nose had been spared.
Tho next week Ansclnl came with Il
sad expression and said that three such
strong and healthy little ones exhausted
the mother, and he should have to sacrifice
Two OF them.
g He felt bad over it, but the last would
profit the more thereby.
From this time the remaining rabbit
filed our lives. At the cafe or Oh our
promenades Anselm talked only Of him,
melting ever his infantile graces, relating
his caprices, noting his progress.
More than once at the hour Of lepar-
ture for the pastures, when tho silent
streets were awakened by tinkling goat
bells, AnselIn knocked on my window, cry
ing, While you are lying snug il yo1r bed
l shall BIZ gathering the herbs our rabbit
is fondeSt of-groundsel and birdweed,
and on leaving, to prove his zeal, ! shall
spread tho herbs out in the sunshiEo a
minute, f0r you know dew is deadly to the
rabbit
I'm the vapors of my interrupted sleep
this rabbit appeared gigantic to me.
lone morning the rabbit escaped, and
Anseln, still much perturbed, came tC
tell me about it. After some hard running
| he had succeeded in recapturing him.
AT last Anselm announced that tho
rabbit would be just right in g week. The
feast was set for Sunday. For the remain
ing Tina the rabbit was to have dry re
gime I'D more herbs, no greens, hone CT
those water soaked plants that mako +he
| flesh of rabbits SO soft and insipid--noth
ing but lavender and narjoram should he
| eat. an odorcus dict gathered expressly fOl
| him OI, the mountain by AnselIl. EOl
nothing in the world would Ansesm have
charged another with this duty.
Sunday came.
"Anselm wished to depart the first Of
all at GAVIN and dispatch the victim witt
a blow on the head classically than clear
him and put him in the pot.
- was to come later at my ease Will
two friends, who would help me to carry
the wAne and other provisions.
Was the rabbit goods
ALAS, my friend, this rare rabbit, 81
fat, sc round, so sweet smelling and dain
tily fell, never existed except In EsnselIn'
Imagination.
Il nrcsc very early that Sunday morn
ing, and by accident L surprised Anseln
in the act of buying a rabbit of the mea
vender.
II have found since that Ansel5n neve
possessed either rabbit hutch or rabbit
and it was solely for pleasure that I he gooC
fellow had lied to me for month, adding
each DIZZY a new bead to his rosary of limo
cent dcceptions -
And what do you conclude?''
Ma foil what with that rabbit ant
Anseln 1 have forgotten the poiut. -
From the French For Chicago Herald
- Curious Old Sabbath Law.