A MUSICAL BURGLAR. 83 



19. A MUSICAL BURGLAR. 



ISAAC T. HOPPER was a kind, humorous Quaker, who 

 lived in New York City forty years ago. He was al- 

 ways ready to give or take a joke. One day when he 

 was buying some peaches at a fruit-stand, he said to 

 the woman, "A serious accident happened at our 

 house last night. I killed two robbers." " Dear me ! " 

 she exclaimed. "Were they young men, or old con- 

 victs?" "I don't know about that," he replied. "I 

 should think they might have been by the noise they 

 made. But I despatched them before they had stolen 

 much. The walls are quite bloody." 



"Has a coroner's inquest been called?" inquired 

 the woman. When he answered "No," she lifted her 

 hands in astonishment, and exclaimed: "Well now, I 

 do declare ! If anybody else had done it there would 

 have been a great fuss about it ; but you are a priv- 

 ileged man, Mr. Hopper." When he was about to 

 walk away, he said to the woman, ' ' I did not mention 

 to thee that the robbers I killed were two mosquitoes." 



The insect to which the Spaniards have given the 

 pretty name of mosquito is a burglar. It enters the 

 house at night for the purpose of stealing. For a rob- 

 ber its way is a bold and honest one. It is not a 

 sneak-thief. With the sound of music it advances, for 

 it is a bugler as well as a burglar. 



Why does this winged robber so loudly announce 

 her coming? Rather, one would say, let her slip 

 quietly in when the victims are asleep, take a little 

 tube full of blood and be off. 



