The Opelousas courier., 1902-01-18
HARD WORLD FOR he SPIDERS
His Girl Treats Him m Than a Dol

Mis Girl Treats Him Meaner Than q Dol
Running Spiders Cotillion.
"As a general thing in the world
below us. it is the male that has all
the fine clothes; but, with some ex'
ceptions, it is the female spider that
bosses the ranch. This beautiful. milk
white spider with the crimson trim
mings has a little runt Of a husband
that goes about in plain brown, with
dark markings, and he is lucky to be
alive. AS a rule, in spiderland the
males are understood. They don't last
long. 1t is a kind of g. hard world
for he-spiders. Imagine how it would
be if a mans wife were 1900 times
as big as hex was! He would have to
take all her impudence and back talk
without a whimper. I'm glad I'm moi
a spider-at least, not a he-splder.
When he goes counting, his girl
treats him meaner than a dog.
But even the %spideress with the
highest principles will finally sue
cumb to the charms of some young
whiffet or other; but II he stays
around the place he has to understand
distinctly that he must keep out OF
the way. She's got a lot of things
on her mind and she can't be bothered
with him. He knows what she means.
So he hops around, hangs to her when
he can. drops when he can, lodges
when he can; but you know what the
upshot of it always is. One day there
is a withered he-spider skin hanging
in the web, and the widow stops and
looks at 1t before she throws it out.
She smacks her mouth. Well says
she, and draws a long breath, he GER
tainly was good to me-
1.-THE jumping and running spiders
are really most interesting to watch in
Loves brief delirium. Then they put
on their incest clothes and do all sorts
OF cakewalks and dances for each 9TH
er. The icius has regular assembly
balls, the men dancing In front Of
the women and showing off their
fancy steps. Every once in a while
there is a scrimmage at the lower end
of the hall, and all the fellows skate
down there, and you'd think by the
fuss that there was nothing less than
murder going on. The women wiring
their hands and moan: Amt it aw-
full? It's jist disgraceful! If I'd a.
knowed 1t was goin' to be like this
Oo-ooh! Did you see Riley paste him
theng The young things cry and car.
ry on, but the old matrons fan them
selves and cape and talk about their
rhuematism. They know that 1t Is all
got up to impress them, and that no
body gets hurt.
"Phidippus morsitans is considered
about the best dancing species, and
when the male rigs out and goes
sparkling it is a sight to see! His
first pair of legs is long, and he
them about and stretches them
up In front of tho lady, as much as to
say: Hail, great queen! Sovereign
of my hearth They are white, plumy
things, and ought to captivate her
first thing. But she sulks and some
times she makes a dive for him, and
he has to droy the Hail, great queen!'
business and take to the woods. But II
he once can get her to watch his
dancing, her heart is his. He stands
up as high as he a on his four right
legs and crouches down as long as he
can on his four left legs and circles
about, getting closer and closer to
her. She rushes at him. He retreats
he is coy. Then he changes legs. He
stands as high as he can on his left
legs and crouches or his right set. II
is when he Is going away from her
thath the poor girl catches her breath
in ecstasy and literally stands on her
head. After ne has circled ahout 100
times, she exclaims: Take me! / am
yours!'"-Haryey Sutherland in Ain
slee's.