Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1899-07-16

visited. was lying curled up IN "a mass
Of straw when | approached his cage
and the creature ignored my existence
altogether Although his den was labtHed
Danger" / undertook 20 rouse the oru1e
from his nap by poking him in the rlDs
with my umbrella. When he many
raised his cat-like form b" glared fiercely
at me through treacherous, amber eyes,
and then yaWned one of those .cavernous
vawns, which gave me good idea OF the
breakfast he had eaten, and displayed q
magnificent set Of milk-white teeth. Then
the biase. bored look returned 10 his face,
and i'm an Indifferent tone, he said can
YOU read YOU goggle-eyed. gaping idiotT'
Words Of two syilables." / replied.
"Then why didn't you see that sign
marked Danger? he snapped out. Il
hold the lightweight championship from
Texas TO Patagonia. and night on my
merits; not by publishing challenges IN
NEWSPAPERS and then Safeguarding my
opponents II youn come three inches
nearer IN give you the glad paw and
the prickly tongue It's been many a
day since / stuck tooth in man sirl0in,
anyhow. though / retain the most plea
SAINT recOlecti0ns of the last gentleman
whose acquaintance / made. ! still have
with me the metallic matchbox ana the
iack-knife he carried on his person. AT
that time l thought they We're part u
the menu, though [ have since been told
better.
Don't get huny against people" l
soothingly advised you're quite a favor
ne out here, and / know they treat you
right"
At this the velyet-footed, serpentne
thing with the ever restless tail pricked
fffor
pered "Say. old man. for Gods sake
for the sake of the Great Father who
put the beasts in the fields and the birds
ir the air and the fishes i'm the water
get me out of this. I've been doing time
in this cage for over a year, and they
tell ma il Is "a life sentence. They say
Stone walls do not a prison make,
Nor iron bars cage.
Minds innocent and pure
Take that for a hermitage
But somehow l can't view it that way.
over yonder | see the green hillOcks and
the tremulOus treetops, and the blue, blue,
blue OF heavens canopy, and ali day long
sit and hope for liberty. o. for a day
Of freedom; a day in the forests; picnic
I'm the sheepfold. or a brief interview with
those piebald heifers grazing on the low
grounds say the word. Let me out, give
me a Whit OF pure, fresh air. None shall
even hear the tread Of my Velyety foot
steps; night alone shall look upon me;
by day / shall. like the chameleon, as
sumo the color of tree-trunks, and lie IN
thickets that know not man.
1t was all very pitiful and pleading and
plausible, but l knew the old codger
tricks, and l simply said mot on your
life. / don't want my wife weeping over
4 -ff rms
Meet me when the lion and the lamb lie
down together and the little child eats
grass like an oX-no, when the little child
leads them
The nOiseless sinewy. sleek, and crafty
quadruped with the masked batteries OF
claws on its feet and the bayonet lines
i'm its mouth. merely yawned at this re-
Spouse of mHe and then added, IN a
whoedling tone:
"say. stick your paw IN here; l want to
look at that ring on your finger
Il now read the word Danger was
my reply. "aud know its meaning. Good
by; l was In the Confederate army any =
now, and don't need credentials in the
way Of a wounded arm 10 show my re-
cord"
1T might be worse" said the lady
Idccooh, tHoush III pV"N' ."'' -, $50
OF cholera infantum on hot days. These
triplets of mine are all the consolation
/ need though IN feel pretty rocky about
persimmon time"
The three little coonies who occupied
the cage with their ma were trying 10
make record on drinking milk. Ihey
were soft and downy and about as pro-
missing a trio of youngsters as I've
soon. only they were just a little hoggish
about their dinners.
They're warm babies. arn't they l
asked. when l saw the fuzzy little things
climbing over their ma.
1.-THE very warmest in this geological
bunch" proudly responded the indulgent
mother. as she quietly removed speck
of dust from the face of her first born
with her tongue Then, turning TO me
LII q hDri..,. linrt I'm h.r nNn.- ahn ~ L1nd