The united opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1881-1970, 1897-02-19
A PET SQUIRREL.
No Other Animal Is So Clean In Its Per-
sonaI Habits.

]
sonaI Habits.
Mr.. W. j. Stillman, the art critic,
has written pathetic story of two pet
squirrels, Billy and Hans, that he once
owned The article appears in The Cen
tury. Mr.. Stillman says: In my favorite
summer resort at the lower edge Of the
Black forest, the quaint old town Of
Laufenburg, a farmers boy one day
brought nue. o young squirrel for sale.
He was tiny creature, probably not
yet weaned, a 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 at
first, as he contented himself with
drinking his milk and sleeping, I was
not sure that he was not a dormouse.
But examination Cf the paws, with their
delicate anatomy, so marvelOusly like
the human hand in their fleXibility and
hardness, and tie graceful curl of his
tail, settled the question of genus, and
mindful of my boyhCod and early pets
l bought him and named him Billy.
From the first moment that he became
my companion he gave me his entire
confidence and accepted his domestica-
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
accept us entirely as their friends-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 in
my pocket from the first and enjoyed
being c&rcssCd rs completely as if he
had been born ulder my roof.
No other uulmal is 50 clean in its
personal habits as the squirrel when i'll
health, and Lilly seen lCit 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 cheek, and he never
knew what cage was except when
travelling, and even then for the most
part he slept i'll my pocket. He went
with me to the table d 'hote, and when
invited out sat on the edge of the table
and ate his hit Of bread with q decorum
that made him the admiration of all
the children in the hotel, so that he
accompanied me in all my journeys.
He acquired passion for tea, sweet
and warm, and to my indulgence of
this taste | fear owe his early loss. He
had full liberty to roam in my rooms,
but his favorite resort was my work ia
BILE when | was at 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 i'll 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 go into my pocket or be put .
down to run about the room, and he .
soon made limited language of move
ments of his head to tell me his few
wants-fOod, drink, to sleep or to take
a climb on the highest piece of furni-
ture i'll the room.
He was from the beginning devoted
to me- and naturally became like a
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. did as many par
ents do, and INDUCED him. to his harm
and my own later grief. l could not re-
sist that coaXing nodding and gave him
what he wished-tea when | had mine
and cracked his nuts, to the injury of
his teeth | was told. In short, l made
him as happy as l knew how