The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1902-03-27
NEITHER THE REAL THING.

Much has been written concerning the
extraordinary mental and physical gifts
of the late John Fiske, and his peculiar
glory as popular explorer of natural
science Snd- philosophy has been dis
Gerningly Indicated in sundry
brief biographies. But his light
er side has not been dWelt
upon or any note made OF his entertain
ing powers of conversation. Those per-
sons who found his lectures dry and who
were not familiar with his delightful lit
tie books on evolution were only too glad
to come in personal contact with the man.
Prof. Ffske had keen sense of humor
and the memory of his favorite anecuote
is abiding. Perhaps the thing really hap
pened. Prof Fiske told it with great eff
feet, and his auditors seemed to agree
with him that it was Enthusiastically
American.
1t seems that traveller on a railway
train had with him a small wooden box
which he kept on the seat beside him
and which he guarded with jealous care.
From time to time he would privately
and solicitously inspect it's contents by
raising an edge of the lid an inch or two.
Evidently the object Of his attentions was
something out Of the common.
This was too much for the curiosity OF
the man across the aisle. When he could
10 longer restrain his desire to penetrate
the mystery he leaned forward and said
Il beg your pardon, but would you mind
telling me what Is in that box?"
The owner of it smiled politely. Ger
tainly not" he answered. IT'S a mon
goose" Then he withdrew into his de-
meanor of inscrutability and buried him
self in a magazine.
The man across the aisle looked puz-
zled. Never having read Rudyard Kip
ling's Jungle Book" and his natural
history collection being little rusty,
the information he bad ELECTED was NOT
complete. Mongoosc and mandrake Tne
chambers Of his memory, somewhat dusty
from dtsuse, echoed family, as through
closed doors, vague intimation Of a long
ago acquaintance with both those words
One Of them was vegetable and one ami
NAL but he didn't know which Did the
mandrake have wings, or was ii the
mongocse? Or was it both or neither
But he was not to be baked by show
of reticence. Again he leaned forward.
Il beg your pardon" he said once
more, but would you mind telling me
what is a mongoose?"
The man with the magazine explained
briefly, but courteously, that the habitat
of the mOngoose was India, and that 1t
was an interesting little quadruped and
useful because Of the relentless war Il
waged on snakes.
This seemed to satisfy the curiosity OF
q matter of fact, however, his curiosity
was only whetted. He returned to the
attack the next time the owner OF the
box opened the lid. What are you going
to do with it?" he asked.
It's rather a private matter said the
owner of the box after an awkward
pause. "The truth is, my brother-in- law
in Chicago is a hard drinker.- He has
well, there's no use nlincing matters-he
has snakes and I'm taking this mon
goose to him."
The earnest questioner digested this in
formation during the ensuing hour. But
somehow it did not seem to put his mind
wholly at ease. AS the train pulled into
the station he preached the subject for
the last time, and apparently with some
difidence.
II don't quite understand" he said
''Those snakes Of your brother-in-law.
They're not real snakes, you know"
The man Of mystery gathered his box
under his arm and prepared to depart
We'll" he said, lowering his voice to a
confidential tone, you see, this isn't a
real mongoose, either.'-Denver Repub-
lican.