Year: 1869

prlVatlOnS OF MS gorilla LIE 10 De Tue ulI-
ficulty of contracting new debts.


"That's fact" said Jack !" the me
nagerie opens at eight o'clock in the morn
ing T; it takes me good hour to get my
sef up for the day, and we don't shut up
until ten o'clock at night; so you see my
professional duties are very conining, and
a real, live African gorilla is not supposed
to have frst-rate credit with the people
who poke stale sandwiches and peanuts
through his cage-bars by day"


Ipromised Jack that if old Seanecks, of
the Interoceanic Monthly, accepted my ar
ticle on the origin of the human species,
/ would divide the proceeds with him
Jack and I had shared and shared alike
with our little gains too often in years
gone by for me to remember which owed
the other now. Besides, | told him that
had studied his habits as gorilla, and he
had some claim upon the profits of an ar
.ticle in which his personal peculiarities
figured 80 largely. ~ Hs A


During the next few days I observed
the characteristics of Coriander's African
gorilla with new interest He performed
wonderfully well it was difficult to real
ize that the hairy, ravening, agile and gro
tesquely-moving beast, from which every
visitor shrank back aghast, was only
Jack Gale serving out his hard servitude
for an anticipated bride, very much after
the ancient fashion of Laban's kinsman.
The cunning rascal had a fashion of leap
ing at the bars when curious people came
too near, driving them away from mar
row inspection by his hideous yells and
angry mouthings. But his roars, which
were really artistic in their brutal sonor-
business, served us good purpose. AS
was night editor on the Daily Highttyer,
and kept pretty close from ten until three
o'clock in the morning, and Jack was
Gagged until the hour at which / went to
work, it was not easy for US to meet. So
we exchanged the salutations of the day
and few scraps of news by using our old
signals, learned long ago in the telegraph
Office. Instead of the rat-tat-tat of the little
instrumc mt so familiar to both of us, Jack,
by series of long or short howls and
grdnts, gave me his message, to which /
replied by careless taps Of my cane or
hand, nobody suspecting that my casual
movements meant anything, nor suppos-
ing for an instant that sudden burst of
African forest yells, which sent fat lady
nearly into Mysteries, and made two small
children howl with apprehension, merely
meant, " She with the pink bonnet is my
Clara"


And it must be confessed that Clara
Coriander was an exceedingly attractive
young person. Blonde, light in figure,
and with one of those fair, transparent
compilations that make you think of a
light shining through an alabaster vase,
Clara Coriander was certainly as lovely q
girl as one ever lay eyes upon. Besides,
she was an only daughter, and old Corian-
der had grown rich in the menagerie bust
nesss Jack was lucky dog gorilla,
should say to gain her hand-if he ever
did; but one could not help thinking, as
he noted her dainty manner and delicate,
somewhat distingue face, that she was
hardly the girl to fancy fellow who had
personated gorilla, even for her hand.
was afraid that Jack had made mis-
take in thus debasing himself or the alb
surd passion of her cruel parent for the
possession of a gorilla Moreover, by de-
barring himself her society fer the
greater portion of the time (Sundays only
excepted), he left the field open for some
more fortunate rival who might, in the
meantime, carry off the prize.


But Jack felt sure that he was all right,
and by a precious bit of deception he had
led Clara to believe that he was hard at
work, night and day, at some legitimate
calling, earning money for his future am
bilious designs in life. The poor little
thing believed in him, but Jack said it
was very hard for hims to be obliged to
see his beloved flirting. right before his
eyes at the menagerie (for the girl had a
taste for natural history, and was there of
Wi nd
was in love with her pretty face and old
he hated himself, for his mean disguise,
and found satisfaction in bowling at the
gay party in such dreadful fashion as
sent them quaking from his cage; and
then he cursed himself for having driven
away his lovely angel, and was smitten
with sudden remorse as he saw her rose
hued cheek blanch at his terrific cries.
AT such times he could with difficulty re-
strain himself from shouting: "Don't be
frightened, dear, it's only Jack!" But he
was fortunately preserved from such An
untimely exposure.


Old Seanecks was very mean, and,
though he accepted my article on the Ori-
gin of the Human Species, only paid me
the pitiful sum of twenty dollars for that
valuable contribution to knowledge.
Twenty dollars for the labor and thought
of weeksl Was ever anything so absurd?
And there was Jack confidently expecting
at least twenty five dollars to purchase a
birthday present for Clara. Jack loved to
make presents, and the deeper he got into
debt the more presents did he bestow on
his friends. Such another who1e-souled
fellow as he was, to be sure.


D,1f r spkx -
along with the money, and went straight
way to the menagerie. There was quite
a crowd about Jacks cage, standing at a
respectful distance. In Els capacity as the
real African gorilla, Jack had Just avenged
himself il on dangerous rival by snatching
off his matchless wig. This gentleman
brosia1 locks, but Jacks quick eye had
discovered the cheat, and he seized fa-
vorable moment to make grab for it.
To his inexpressible JOY, it came off in his
paw, and the discounted gallant stood
with his bare poll in the presence of the
giggling and amused Clara Coriander.
The amateur gorilla was in frenzy of de.
light, and tore up and down his cage,
scattering Mr.. Jonquils chestnut crrls
with savage glee. Old Coriander after
ward had to pay for his wig of course, but
he was so delighted with the stroke OF
Snowman genius displayed in its destruc-
ton that he paid the bill without a mur-
mur. None but wild and SAVAGE ami
NAL, of course, would snatch q gentle
man bald-headed," as the old man ex-
pressed it. suppose some of my readers
who now recollect the occurrence, will
agree with Mr.. Coriander in his opinion.


After the little crowd which this anus