The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-08-11
DEyILFISH GONE TO HADES
MR. LEARY DISCUSSES a DEATH
AT THE AQUARIUM.

mis- specuiattous Concerning the Post-SIoEteun
Habitat OF HIsh In General and Devttnsh
in Partiouiar-aiso Some Remarks On the
Bad Habits OF the Latter species of IIsh.
"Did you hear about the new devilHsh y
said the Hon. william Leery to The Sun man
who wandered into his den in the Park Board
offices yesterday.
"Yes, II you mean that the Aquarium has TO
cciycd one from Bermuda" replied the reporter.
"when did you ever know me to be two days
bchind the news T. demanded Mr.. Leary with
some asperity. when ] give you news It's 1.-Two
nsws. Tho dovil1sn has gone where the good
devilHsh CO."
where's that T. asked the reporter, unsuard.
edly.
"Helll' said Mr.. Lcary 90 suddenly that his
visitor jumped, but, recovering himself In q mo-
ment, said:
"That isn't reasonable. Ho'd DO out Of his
element. What would an aquatic habitant do
In a place Of eternal FIRE"
"siEzle, / suppose" the Secretary Of the Park
Board replied; land as for being out Of his ele-
mont, II q devillsh doesn't belong in hell. then
I'm mother"
Then you're o believer In a future life for
fishes g. suggested the reporter as q feeler.
Certainly" said Mr.. Leary. promptly. IT'S
not the sole immortal"
Tho reporter had to admit that in piscatorial
theology no was On ignoramus.
And II tho sole IL immortal, why shouldn't
all other fab DO T. continued the argumentator
triumphantly. The good devilhsh 60 TO hell
lust as surely as the good ~angel6sh go to heaven.
Each to his own place. you know. And this
devilhsh is gone for good. Turned mp his toes
to tho daisies-his tentacles to the sea anemones,
Imean-this morning. Gave one last s~quiggle
and died"
srr-h.A-.. H. ..kAo- ,~tth At,, 80 .,t.a A.
reporter.
Change Of climate. I guess. The Bermuda
Holsters are dead. too. all twelve Of EN-: but It
wasn't change that killed them, 1t was shame"
whats q lobster got TO be ashamed Oft in
Quired the visitor.
aside from his name, which has come to be a
term Of reproach. he has nothing which should
bring the blush Of shame to his damask cheek,
provided he's o whole lobster. But these Ber-
muda chaps are only partial. They have no
claws. Down there. where they never ran
across any Holsters with claws, they got along
happily enough. but as soon as they reached the
Aquarium they saw the real thing with q pair Of
nippers that could crack the steel on an armored
cruiser, and they just naturally turned purple
and persisted Of modification. I mourn their
loss"
also !" Inquired the reporter. scenting an invidi-
"Weii. do and I don't. He was o very beau
tiful devilfsh, with nice horns and cloven ten.
tacles and a long barbed tail, and it was q real
pleasure, to SOC, him sitting there emitting
sparks like a."
How could he emit sparks in the water T. In.
terrupted the reporter.
"They were phosphorescent sparks. OF course.
Don't interrupt; 1t throws my train Of thought
of tho track. As ! said, he was a very pretty
submarine nrework. but 1 fear his morals were
not what they should be: I had named hin,
Mephistopheles because Of this On one side OF
the short, period. of his existence here he
spent nearly half Of his time making opprobrious
signs at them with his tentacles. The rest OF the
time he would sit close 70 the other side Of his
glass tank and wink at the ladyfish in the case
next door: Why, he had those ladynsh so captf
waited that their noses are still fiat where they
kept pressing them against the wall: Oh, he
was q gay dog. that devilhsh. but his day was a
THE next devilfsh that the Aquarium gets. -
continued Mr.. Leary, lis going to be isolated. II
have the morals of . whole aquarium corrupted
On the whole. I think 1t Is we'll that Mephistoph,
eles died; 1 have enough troubles Of my own
And with o sigh. Mr.. Leary turned from the
reporter to attend to q newcomer. who wanted
to sell him q f~elt:lined sewer pipe Of his own in.
vention. particularly designed to protect girafes
from getting sore throat.