Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1922-03-23
MWse Logic .


Ploneer life, observed the North Da-
Gotta Farmer, was Csten hard and dis.
agreeable, but it had its good side
FOR example, man could strike in
friendship with some wild creature
that would be almost interesting
enough TO take the place of human So.
ciety.
remember little field mouse had
for a friend one summer. was I,,;,
alone in a shack, demonstrating. After
the spring breaking was ended nut
my plough in corner, and one da,
9 held mouse came and took posses.
sion OF it. She built her nest down
Behind the moulboard, and before she
mad finished il had made friends
with her by tossing crumbs in her wav
Soon she became so tame she'd come
and eat with me three times = dav
ID Keep her supplied with crumbs. and
she would SIT UP on her launches near
the leg of the table and hold her foo :
In her forepaws as dainty as a lady
called her Jemma. A man gets sick
and tired of eating alone day after day
and week after week, and she was the
next best thing TO human companv
We got to be great chums, and | never
had to eat alone so long as she STAYED
with me.
For some reason the plough didn',
suit her, and she moved into the wood
pile in the opposite corner of the room.
We'll, one day when was hayinp a
thunderstorm came up, and | mad to
stop work about five O'Clock. 1t was
hot in the house; so | propped the door
open and sat there watching the rain
pour down. All at once a gust of
wind blew the door shut with a ter
rifle slam. A moment later Jemima
came running from the woodpile with
a-young mouse in her mouth.
Now, she had been going in and
out Of the shack through a knot hole
perhaps four inches above the floor, out
when she tried to run up to it with
the little one in her mouth she could
Mt reach it. She tried in vain three
times to get up headfrst, and then.
would you believe it?-she turned
round and backed slowly up until she
could hook her toes into the edge of
the hole. Once there, she drew Ut
herself and her infant and disappear
ed into the pouring rain.
Pretty soon she returned and made
for the woodpile. Out she came with
second baby, tried to run up head.
first to the knot hole, dropped down
when she was almost there, turned
round and backed up the wall, and sc
got out of the shack. | looked out and
saw her run to the shed where | kept
the horses and the COW.
The third time she didn't try to 90
up the wall headfrst, but backed VI
as naturally as if she had always gone
out that way. After she had moved
six mousekins she made several trips
with her nesting materials; she took
just enough at each trip so that she
could run up the wall headfirst with
it.
AT last she came back, went to the
woodpile and, coming out empty-mouth.
ed, ran over to the plough and perched
for few moments in her old nesting
place. Then she went to the leg oil
the table where | had fed her every
meal, then into the woodpile and then
up the wall and off.
Since she never came back again
it is plain that the slamming of that
door had been a warning to her. Per.
haps she thought that an earthquake
threatened her precious family, and
that it was we'll to move them before
the woodpile came crashing down.
Pretty clever reasoning for a mouse
wasn't it?