Peninsula enterprise. [volume] (Accomac, Va.) 1881-1965, 1897-02-20
A PET SQUIRREL.
No Other Animal Is So Clean In Its Pvr'
sonal Habits.

No Other Animal Is so clean Al Als EHs
sonal Habits.
Mr.. W. J. Stillman, the art critic,
has written pathetic story of two pet
squirrels, Billy and Hams, that he once
owned. The article appears i'll The Cen
fury. Mr.. Stillman says: In my fnvorite
summer resort at the lower edge of the
Black forest, the quaint old town of
Laufenburg, a farmers boy one day
brought me young squirrel for sale.
He was q tiny creature, probably not
vet weaned, variation on the ordinary
type of the European sciurus (Sciurus
vulgaris), gray instead of the usual red
and with black tail and ears, so that ut
first, us he contcnted himself with
drinking his milk and sleeping, l was
not sure that he was not Il dormouso.
But examination of the paws, with their
delicate anatomy, so marvelously like
the human hand in their fle1ibility and
hardness, and the graceful curl of his
tail, settled the question of genus, and
mindful Of my boyhood and early pets
I bought him and named him Billy.
From the first moment that he became
my companion he gave mo his entire
confidence and accepted his domestlca-
ton without the least indication that
he considered it captivity. There is gen.
orally short stage of mute rebellion
in wild creatures before they come to
accent US entirely as their fricnds-a
longing for freedom which makes pre-
cautions against escape necessary. This
never appeared in Billy. He came to
me for his bread and milk and slept Ill
my pocket from the first and enjoyed
being carcsscd as completely as II no
had been born under my roof.
80 other animal is so clean il its
personal habits as the squirrel when i'll
health, and Billy soon left the basket
which graded his infancy and habit
ually slept under fold of my bed cover,
sometimes making his way to my pillow
and sleeping by my check, and he never
knew what Il cage was except when
travelling, and even then for the most
part he slept in my pocket. He went
with me to the table 'hote, aud when
invited out sat OIL the edge of the table
and ate his bit of bread with decoru1n
that made him the admiration of all
the children in the hotel, SO that he
accompanied me i'll Ill my journeys.
He acquired a passion for tea, sweet
and warm, and to my indulgence OF
this taste fear owe his carly loss. Hc
had full liberty to roam in my rooms,
but his favorite resort was my work ia
bic when ! was ut work, and when his
diet became nuts he used TO hide them
among my books and then come to
hunt them out again, like child with
its toys. sometimes found my type
writer stopped and discovered hazel.
nut in the works And when tired OF
his hide and seek he would come to the
edge and nod TO me, to Indicate that he
wished to 20 into my pocket OF be put
down to run about the room, and he
soon made limited language of move
ments of his head to tell me lis few
wants-focd, drink, TO sleep or to take
a climb on the highest picco of furnl-
ture in the room.
He was from the beginning devoted
to me, and naturally became like Il
spoiled child. If gave him an uncrack-
ed nut, he rammed it back into my
hand to be cracked for him with IRE
sistible persistence. I did as many par
ents do, and INDUCED him, to his harm
and my own later grief. 1 could not re-
sist that coaxing nodding aud gave him
what he wished-tea when l had mine
and cracked his nuts, to the injury OF
his teeth, was told. IN short, l made
him rs happy rs knew how.