Evening star., 1948-10-05
This, IS, and That
BIZ Charles E. Trace1uell

Templeton Jones. nature lover, was striding
along, whisting Mature Boy as well as ne
could, when he almost stepped on mouse.
The poor thing was dead. But 1t was no
ordinary mouse.
1t was a field mouse.
Whatever struck 1t had ruptured something
internally. There was drop OF Diooo on lts
mouth, and that was all.
Not a bone had been crushed, as lar as could
be SEEN The wfiiskers stood out stih and
starched.
Jones stopped to pick the mouse up, to place
it on the parking, out Of harms way.
It had suffered enough indignity.
But he suddenly thought OF all the germs
rodents are supposed to harbor, and so ne
stepped along, leaving the poor mouse lying
there.
When he came home that evening, he almost
struck the mouse but 1t would have made no
difference. Passing cars had reduced 1t to
pulp, and the flies were gathering
Jones felt sorry, but he brushed the sorrow
from his mind.
One has to be able to do that, in these days;
perhaps more than ever, there Is so much in
difference in the world.
Ones little bit of indifference Will 90 no
harm.
Sudden small sorrows have to be overturned
and brushed of.
There is much to do yet. before we become
really civilized
-
Jones went on thinking about rodents, and
the part they play in the world.
No doubt this globe would be better oil with
out them, at least from mans standpoint.
Largest of the mammal families, rodents har-
Dor many diseases and pass them on to man
kind.
They are sturdy four legged folk, able to
throw of. in their turn, the diseases that do
so much harm to man.
They are good eaters, taking an enormous toll
of mans food stuffs.
Even the little field mice, best Of their kind,
are good feeders, as the country people say.
Field mice can come indoors, despite the be-
lief Of some people that they never do.
When one hears certain noise in the walls,
unusual and intriguing, it may be mouse.
And it is just as likely to be a field mouse
as an ordinary house mouse.
Both sorts tend to come indoors with the f1rst
cool weather of fall.
Why builders 60 on making homes with neat
apertures which beckon mice is something to
wonder about.
few more boards, brick or two, or even
wall board, If thick enough, would block up
these places.
Little doors they are, inviting curious mice to
investigate.
Last fall a whole colony invaded Jones home
When they were discovered, they had man
aged to store away considerable quantity Of
food most of it sunf1ower seed from the Jone-
sian bird feeding stations. But there, too, were
half q dozen fresh poke berries, filled with
juice Not one of the berries had been
broken though each had been carried up
! through the walls in the sharp teeth OF the
rodents!
Jones still recalls that as a minor mystery.
Animal life still Is filled with mysteries. That
| Is why people love to consider animals, to
| watch them, to read and talk about them.
Animals give us a good Zine" on ourselves,
they are so honest, not being able to be any
thing else. A deceitful animal actually is un-
| known, although with mans usual malice)
some aspects of dishonesy have been attributed
| to various creatures.
Mice, rabbits, squirrels-these most common
of rodents abound in suburban sections, and
| If left unmolested will afford many hours Of
enjoyment and interest to nature lovers. It Is
only when they come indoors that they need
! be Mastrusted.