The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1908-04-03
BABY, MY SQUIRREL.


BABY, MY SQUIRREL.
In the month of July our house was
destroyed by fire. Being left home
less, we sought shelter in tents,
pitched in a grove of large bay-trees,
near the site of our former home.
And this is where | found my squir-
rel
The gray squirrel, native of Cali
fornia, builds his nest in the topmost
branches of tall, slender trees, which
sway in the breeze.
One day the wind may have been
stronger than usual, or perhaps an
overbold youngster ventured too near
the edge of the nest. Whatever the
cause, the fact remains-a baby
squirrel was lying on the ground near
the foot of a tree. The poor little
fellow, too young to run or climb out
of reach, was easily captured.
l placed him in cage with a bed
of cotton; but he clung, trembling, to
the wires all day, and could not be
induced to take any food. Next morn
ing, however, he sucked warm milk
from the end of spoon, and l fed
him four times daily in this manner.
At the end of a week he was quite
fat, perfectly tame, and apparently
happy in his new surroundings. After
a month or more he was able to eat
nuts, sitting up with his tail over his
back in regular squirrel fashion dur
ing the process.
All this time l had taken personal
care of my Baby, as l called him, and
he resented the presence of any
stranger. His disapproval was mani
tested by burying himself in his bed,
from which safe retreat he emitted
shrill sQueals or a low, malicious
chuckle.
Baby had a special antipathy for
the maid. Whenever she entered the
room where he was kept, his angry
squeals could be heard throughout
the house.
His ears, accustomed to the still
ness of the forest, were extremely
sensitive to sound, and he seemed to
suffer from the various noises Incl
dent to domestic life.
Baby never made mistake in re-
gard to persons, and was urvarying
in his friendliness toward me. When
| would let him loose for exercise,
he would scamper about and play like
kitten, rolling over and over when
l tickled him, climbing up my dress,
sitting on my shoulders, and in am
bilious moments mounting to the top
of my head.
We had occupied a house during
the winter, but with the summer our
camping time returned. Baby had
then arrived at an age of discretion,
and l, being averse to keeping an
animal in captivity, decided to give
him his freedom.
For few days I kept his cage sus-
pended from tree in front of my
tent. He was greatly excited by his
surroundings; but, when he had be-
come sufficiently at home there, l
opened the door and set him at lib
erty. He scampered about on top of
his cage for a while, and finally ven
tured to climb a tree. The ascent
was accomplished in safety; but, with
the proverbial rapidity Of the down
ward course, he lost his grip and
landed ANONYMOUSLY On the ground
He was glad to be lifted gently and
placed in his bed, where he slept the
rest of the day. On the morrow he
was lively as ever, SO | let him out
again. Experience had taught him
caution, and he had no more falls.
Every evening for a week Baby
took possession of deserted nest,
which he repaired with sticks and
bits of moss. Here he lived happily
all summer, playing among the
branches with the wild squirrels, and
coming to my tent every day for nuts.
He soon discovered that | kept the
nuts in a covered jar on the bureau.
II he came during my absence, |
would find, on returning, the cover
removed from the jar and the rem
nants of his repast scattered on the
floor.
Three months have passed since we
left the camp, but Baby is tame as
ever. He has changed his place of
abode, and now lives far up on the
hillside, whence he comes in response
to my call, leaping from bough to
bough till he reaches the camping
ground. Here he desCends the tree
nearest to where l am sitting and
jumps upon my knee, holding out his
tiny hands for the nuts, which I
bring daily.
Baby is now full grown and very
handsome. His coat of silver gray
fur is soft and sleek; his widespread
ing tail seems to puff up with pride
and satisfaction; and he enjoys, to
the fullest extent of a squirrels ca
2acity, life, liberty and the pursuit of
Mary D. Barber, in the
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