Year: 1874

Will iiIt0ho!IJ 0iIhoaC u!t OOllC1' IL


its nature. She will pursue one O.


these little ianocents with the re


morsclcssness Of Il fend, and il
you ever expect to see beautiful


excmplitication of womanIy traits


never look for it when she knows
that a flea is about. And in pro


portion as the woman hates, the


dea seems 10 love, and is never en-
joyiug ecstatic bliss unless favored


with her society. He likes to
seek her couch in the stilly hours
of the night, WOO her from slum-
ber, and from a sheltered nook
. witness her feverish exertions to
escape his caresses; but perhaps
! lie does not reach the acme of en-
joyment until he can slyly accom-
pany her to church and not make
his presence known until she has
satisfactorily settled her furbelows
and founces on the cushioned seat
all ready to be admired and make
! note Of how others look. And
then the hca begins his manipula-
tions, knowing full well that he
has bis victim at disadvantage
Here there can be no hasty fling


ing of skirts: no assuming of unbc-


coming postures while making
frantic grabs at the mischlevous
and inaccessible monster. If you


note the woman closely, you will
see a compression Of the lip and
look Of hate and pain creeping in.
to the face which she would fain
conceal and not reveal, for are not
many eyes upon her? One mo-
ment sho settles herself a little


moro firmly on one side, as though
hoping to crush the aggressor, but
the next moment feels him
scampering upward, when she set.
ties backward quickly TO catch
him between her back and the
rail, but all in vain-his flag is still
there. One dainty gaiter may
rub up against its fellow as far
as may be done without disarrarg-
ing drapery, and there may be a
quiet, yet nevertheless vicious
clutch Of jeweled hand under
the pretense Of arranging flowing
drapery but all in vain. And the
flea, how be does enjoy it. He
roams hither and thither at his
own sweet will, uncaring for the
boiling wrath which fairly makes
the white flesh upon which he
plays shiver beneath his light
tread. Aad perhaps the flea has
his mate, and then the anguish is
doubled. At one moment they
are playing tag; at anotbsr hide
and seek, and while the one is
costly nestled away, the other
rushes hither and thither to find
it in q way which is maddening !;
and then they act tho part Of the
explorers, and prospect every hill!


and dale of the form divine. But
one thing they do no. do, they do
not 60 to sleep. And during this
hour Of martyrdom'how the wrath


of the woman gathers, and how


only thoughts of dire vengeance


mako the brief agony endurable.


But at last the service which has
seemed so long is ended, and with


as much majesty as her writhing
form will permit, she sails home


without lettering, you may be


be sure. The house reached, with


one bound she is within the pri-


vacy Of her own chamber, and


there all restraints is cast aside


With lightning haste off como the


barricades behind which the flea
found intrenchmcnt, and at last


she stands like a gladiator stripped


for the fight, and then the fate of
the invader is sealed. He is pur-
sued with rcmorseless fury, and
the battle does not end until the


victor shake aloft the scalp Of the
foe, and VOWS that 80 perish al
ways the flea who dares to invade
the sacred territory of her person.