The Portland daily press., 1897-11-30
TWO STORIES OF DR.. EVANS.
His Pet Duck Columbia and His Moment
of Fear With the Fleeing Empress
Eugenie.
IN. Y.Ssun.)

When a party of visitors called at DR..
Evans's house near the Champs Elysees
in Paris some year ago thly heard sounds,
as they rang the bell. from beneath the
white marble steps where they stood, and
directly afterr&.d DR.. Evans emerged
from below in his shirt sleeves, covered
with cobwebs, but not in the least dis.
cor certed by being caught in such a
suise. He laughingly sexpAained that he
was in search of his pet duck Columbia,
which could not be found. As he seemed
much distressed, his visitors followed
him through the garden, peering here
and there. They had heard of DR..
Evans's $1,000 dogs, his horses and his
wonder nj collection of birds. brought
from every part of the globe, but were
surprised at the evident pleasure with
which he told the story of the duck.
1t seemed that when very young the
duck showed a strong affection for Mrs.
Evans, followed her about the garden and
even into house, where she made herself
quite at home III the drawing room. The
| bird proved so intelligent and affectionate
that Mrs. Evans devoted considerable
time to teaching her different tricks and
the proper manners for polite society, till
the duck finally became an acknowledged
member of the family, much admired by
all who came to the house.
During the Commune, when Paris was
starving, this adored duck suddenly dis
appeared, and great was the grief in the
Evans household. Rewards were offered
and every effort made to discover the
thief, but all to no purpose, and the
family mourned the loss of the duckswith
sincere grief, trembling as to the proba-
| BILE fate of their pot. Some months after
ward, while entertaining number of
| friends at dinner, servant whispered
| with much excitement that soldier was
outside who said the duck had been
found. The good news ran round the
table. The man was brought into the
room, and there, perched on his shoulder,
was Columbia, much bedraggled as to
plumage and far from being the sleek
and naughty bird OF the past. She
| blinked her eyes in the candle light and
then suddenly recognizing Mrs. Evans
| voice as the hostess called her name. gave
a joyful quack and tapped across the
| fiower-decked table to Mrs. Eyans's bare
| shoulder, here she nestled, rubbing her
| head lovingly against her nistresss
cheek.
Then the history of the previous months
was explained 1t seemed that, the gar
don gate having been left Gjar one day,
| the soldier spied Columbia waddling com
fortably along the path, fat, sleek and to
his hungry eyes the embodiment of
goodly meal. In trice he had the duck
beneath his coat and was speeding down
the side street, sitting as best he could
the indignant quacks of his prey But
on arriving at the barracks and being set
down in the midst of the men. Columbia
straight way began her programme of
| tricks-w altzing, bowling, kissing, etc.,
ending by nesting lovingly against her
| captor neck with an affeotionate gurgle
Of satisfaction. Her faith in human kind
ness saved her life. The men, one and
all, voted to remain hungry rather than
eat SO delightful a creature, and Column
bia was their pet from that hour.
His story finished. the soldier received
a substantial reward, and all drank his
health with much laughter, while Co
Iumbia nodded approval from Mrs.
Evans's shoulder.
AS DR.. Evans ceased speaking the hero
inc of the tale emerged from beneath a
lilac bush and came waddling across the
lawn TO meet the visitors, stopping now
and then to bow deeply to her master
with much dignity. When she was quito
near DR. Bvans began to whistle waltz.
Columbia stopped, then began to dance,
keeping perfect time to the music and
surely nothing was ever more irresistibly
ludicrous than the awkward gravity with
which she went through her steps, with
head cooked coquettishly on one side and
neck outstretched.
The host then led his visitors to the
house, stopping on the way to show his
avIary. When they entered the large
hall, filled with palms, divans, and East
ern lamps hanging from the groined stone
ceiling he called attention to a small
brass tablet set in tbs floor at the foot of
the stairs.
1T is there he said, "where the EN-
press Eugene first learned she was no
longer an Empress. But she was brave
woman p
From there he led the way to long
gallery opening out on the garden and
filled with beautiful things. The walls
were hung with Portraits of many
crowned heads of Europe given to Dr.
Evans by the originals. Splendid tables
of onyx and malachite, also royal gifts,
were filed with curious and interesting
| things; the first sword worn by the little
| Prince Imperial, a tobacco pouch en-
| broidered by the late C2arina of all the
| Russias, and a miniature OF the Princess
Louise painted by herself when q young
girl. But the most beautiful thing in the
splendid room was the frieze which ran
round the top of the walls. 1t was about