THE EDUCATIONAL HUMANE SOCIETY 



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and only half-tamed mice wanted some 

 food which was what seemed to them 

 a long way from safe cover. After 

 many attempts to screw up individual 

 courage "to the sticking point," with 

 many brave starts and terrified re- 

 treats, the}- joined forces, and 1 saw 

 them emerge from under cover, side 

 by side, as close together as they could 

 get, noses even, stepping together 

 across the perilous distance toward the 

 coveted morsels. But in each case, 

 before the distance was traversed, even 

 joint courage failed, and they broke 

 ranks and scampered back to cover. 

 In one instance, both failed, but the 

 other time the braver of the two darted 

 forward at the moment of stampede, 

 seized a piece, and made victorious 

 retreat with it. 



****** 



Have you ever seen a mouse make 

 his toilet? If not, then you have 

 "something coming," for it is a pretty 

 sight to watch. He goes the pet cat 

 one better in washing his face, for he 

 uses both paws instead of only one, as 

 pussy does. Sitting upright, the tiny 

 paws fly over the little face, and he 

 does not need the reminder so often 

 given the small boy, to "wash behind 

 his ears." His arms go over his head 

 and over the sharp pointed ears with a 

 motion marvelously quick and exceed- 

 ingly graceful. Then the fur is dressed 

 and combed smoothly down, just as 

 pussy does it, but when he gets to the 

 long tail, he knows he cannot reach 

 it all, so takes it in both hands and 

 hauls it in, hand over hand like a sailor 

 hauls in a piece of rope, scrubbing as 

 it comes within reach, and before you 

 can get over your surprise, it is pol- 

 ished oft, clear to the tip, and the toilet 

 is complete, and with perhaps a saucy 

 little scratch of his ear, off scampers 

 the mouse to other occupations. 

 ****** 



One little fellow knows where I put 

 my lunch when I bring it to the office, 

 and if I delay his breakfast too long, 

 or he gets hungry during the forenoon, 

 I am often warned by the sound of 

 tearing paper. I remonstrate in a loud 

 tone; he stops and peeps around the 



end of the package or over the top, 

 looks at me questioningly, gives 

 another tentative tear at the paper and 

 looks at me again. I tell him that is 

 my lunch, (tear). "Well, / haven't got 

 any. .(tear) "This smells awfully 

 good.." (rip, tear) and then I get up 

 and get him something to eat. 



From the Dog's Point of View. 



(A Christmas Letter from "Jo".) 

 III. 



St. John's N. B. 

 To My Mistress. 

 My Dear Mistress : — 



First my birthday, then St. Andrew's 

 Day followed so soon by Christmas — 

 really, dear mistress, I cannot help 

 thinking "what a lucky dog am I." I 

 thought the first two days were jolly 

 ones, but they cannot hold a patch to 

 the fun the Jacks, Mackenzies and I 

 had with numerous other relations and 

 friends on Christmas. Aunt Fan told 

 me that this was the first Christmas in 

 thirty years that she had spent at 

 home, and even if I am only a dog I 

 tried to show by my actions that I at 

 least fully appreciated the event. 



The day opened frosty and sunny. 

 I could enjoy this kind of weather 

 if it did not bring such weariness to 

 mind and body in trying to dig out of 

 the ash pile some choice bones, which, 

 carefully buried, seem beyond my inge- 

 nuity to unearth. 



Though born in the United States, 

 and chock full of Scotch blue blood as 

 I am, yet I believe thoroughly in 

 Santa Claus. All the humans in this 

 house do. We did not hang up our 

 stockings. 1 wondered at this, but the 

 reason, I found out later, was that so 

 few of the presents could have been 

 gotten in, though I think any of my 

 aunt's stockings would have held mine. 



On Christmas afternoon, Portia, Ne- 

 vill and John, the latter having come 

 from Quebec to spend the holiday, and 

 one Jack, started for a skate on the new 

 lakes — all quite near. I am thankful 

 I was not expected to put on skates ; 

 but without them I had heaps of fun 

 hanging on to one or the other of the 

 skater's boots. 



During the day I enjoyed several 



