372 .MONOGRAPH ON COCKROACHES. 



" where, I should like to know, is all the house fairies gone 

 to, 'cepting into the bodies of they little creturs? and if tin ' 

 crickets is good sperits, what ever is so like the bad mis as 

 they beadles ?- -they that hates living people and everything 

 lightsome, taking care, as if they'd a troubled conscience, 1<> 

 keep out of sight of sun and fire, and everythink bright and 

 cheery, coming out from sonicwheres, all in the dead of night 

 like ghosts and goblins, only greedier, gnawing and spiling 

 very think they lay their ugly claws on; but, thank goodness, 

 as I say, I never see one here, not one like them at Morti- 

 plmnr's, and hope I never shall I" 



Lucy looked round fearfully, and got closer to her nurse's 

 elbow, as tin- latter brought thus to an emphatic termination 

 her monographs on the families Achetida and Blattida. Thev 



t 



were followed, also, by another sound, compound groan, cough, 

 and whistle, from the liny lips of Mr. Caligraph, succeeded, 

 this time, by the sententious apothegm " Superstition is the 

 daughter of Ignorance/' uttered with a look of unniistakeablc 

 application to Mrs. Dove, who, dove as she was, seemed 

 slightly ruffled. " I know/' said she, " though Fm my 

 father's own daughter, that Fm not so wise as some folks, but 



* j x j 



I think, Mr. Caligrub, you might be a little more perlite, now, 

 at Christinas time, and in the company of little Miss here, and 

 Master." " "Why," returned the butler, alias librarian, alias 

 writing-master "respecting the young lady and young gen- 

 tleman, I must take leave to observe that ' youth is apt at 



