Year: 1871

with all the branches of the Nut


cracker family. The Chipmunks, of


Chipmunk Hollow, were a very


lively, cheerful, sociablc race. and on
the very best of terms with the~Nut-


cracker Grays. Young Tip Chip


munk, the eldest son, was i'll all res
poets a perfect contrast to Master
FeatherhcaA. He was always lively


and cheerful, and so very active in
providing for the family, that old


Mr.. and Mrs. Clipmunk had very
little care, but could sit socially at
the door of their hole and chat with
neighbors, quite sure that Tip would
bring everything out right for them,
and have plenty laid up for winter.
Now, Featherhead took it upon
him, for some reason Or other, to
look down upon Tip ChipmunL, aud
Oh every occasion to speak of him as
a very common kind ofsquirrel, with
whom it would be best not to asso-
ciate too freely. "My dear," said
Mrs. Nutcracker one day, when he
was talking in thismanner, Kit seems
to me that you are too hard Oh poor
Tip: he is a most excellent son and
brother, and | wish you would be
civil to him.


"Oh, I don't doubt that TIP is
good enough" said Featherhcad care
lessly, " but then he is so very com
mon he hasn't al idea in his skull
above his daily drudgery. He is
good natured enough, to be sure-
these Very ordinary people are often
very good natrrcd-but he wants
manner. He has really no manner
at all and as to the deeper feelings,
Tip hasn't the remotest idea OF them.
[ mean always to be civil to Tip when
he comes i'll my way, but | think the
less we see of that sort of people the
better; and I hope, mother, you
wont invite the Chipmunks at Christ
mas-these family dinners are such
a bore y


But, my dear, your father thinks
a great deal of the Chipm,lnks; and
it is an old family custom to have all
the relatives here at Christmas"


Gard all awful bore it is,n said
master Featherhcad. :'Why must
people Of refinement and elevation
be forever tied down because of some
distant relationship? Now, there
are our cousins, the igh-Fliers-if
We could get them, there would be
some sense in it. Young Whisk
rather promised me for Christmas;
but it's seldom now you can get a
flying squirrel to show himself in our
parts; and if we are intimate with
the Chipmunks it isn't to be expec-
ted"


"Confound him for a puppy" said
old Nutcracker, when his wife re-
peated these sayings OHM. "Feath-
erhead is q fool; common, forsooth !
| wish good, industrious, painstak-
ing SONS like Tip Chipmunk were
common. For my part, find these
uncommon people the most tiresome;
they are not content with letting us
carry the whole load, but they sit on
it, and scold at us while we carry
them"


But old Mr.. Nutcracl1er like many
other good old gentlemen squirrels,
found that Christmas dinners and
other things were apt to go as his
wife said, and his wife was apt to go
as young Featherhead said; and so,
when Christmas came, the Chip
mpnks were not invited, for the first
timein many years. The Chipmunks,
however, took all pleasantly, and ac
cepted poorold Mrs Nutcracker's apo
logies with the best possible grace,
and young Tip looked in Oh Christmas
morning with the compliments of the
season and a few beech nuts which
he had secured as a great dainty.
The fact was, that Tips little striped
fur coat was so filled up and over
flowing with cheerful goodwill to
all, that he never could be made to
understand that any of his relations
meant to slight him; and, therefore,
Featherhead looked down on him
with contempt, and said he had no
tact, and could not see when he was
not wanted. It was wonderful to see
how young Featherhead at last got
nearly all the family to look up to
him as something uncommon. Lut
at last old papa declared that it was
time for the young chap to settle
himself to some business in life,
roundly declaring that he could not
always have him as a hanger-on in
the paternal hole. "What are you
going to do, my boy?" said Tip
.Cbipmunk to him one day. awe
are driving now a thriving trade in
hickory nuts, and if you would like
to join us "Thank you," said
Featherhead, "but I confess 7 have
no fancy for anything so slow as the
hickory trade; I never was made to
grub and delve in that way.' The
fact was that Featherhead had lately
been forming alliances such as no
respectable squirrel should even
think of. He had more than once
been seen going out evenings with
the Rats Of Rat Haunt-a RAGE whose
reputation for honesty was more
than doubtful. The fact was, farther,
that old Longtc 9th Rat, al old
sharper and money lender, had long
had his eye OH Featherhead as just
about silly enough for their purposes,
engaging him in what he called a