﻿204 PICTORIAL MISCELLANY. 



is a useful bird, and I am inclined to overlook his follies for the good 

 he does. But the peacock is harbored principally for ornament, 

 and has very few pretensions to usefulness. 



A few days since I went a short distance into the country to visit 

 an old acquaintance. He resides in a still, secluded spot, down in 

 a valley, shaded with trees, which exhibits every appearance of a 

 peaceable home. This is just such a place as I should like to live 

 in, said I to my friend, as we were walking over his garden. I had 

 no sooner spoken these words than a great peacock, which sat upon 

 an old tree a short distance off, commenced his disagreeable yelling. 

 I am sure the noise of the Indians, spoken of by Miles Hawthorne, 

 cannot be much worse. And the most provoking part of it was that 

 he seemed to be calling me, " Old Mark ! Old Mark ! " After get- 

 ting entirely out of breath, he put on a most vain appearance, and 

 spread out his tail until it was larger than a cart-wheel, eying me 

 all the while, as though I had come all the way to see and admire 

 him. He was a fine-looking bird, and if he could have left off all 

 appearance of vanity, I might have been tempted to applaud his per- 

 formance. 



It may be that I was offended at his calling me names. You have 

 doubtless all heard of Teddy, the Irishman. Teddy was returning 

 from work, one evening, and I suppose he was not just then strictly 

 a temperance man. Well, he sat down on the bank of a pond to 

 rest. Just then a frog put up his head and began to sing, " Teddy 

 got drunk! Teddy got drunk!" " Shut your mouth, ye spalpeen," 

 said Teddy. " I have taken no dhrap the day at all at all ;" and splash 

 went a big stone at the offender's head. The noise started other 

 frogs, and in a few moments Teddy had more than he could do to 

 silence their slanders. At length the row became general, and 

 Teddy was obliged to give up in despair and go home ; but he always 

 shunned the pond afterwards. 



A person went into a shoemaker's shop to purchase a pair of boots. The 

 price was three dollars, and he gave the shoemaker a ten dollar bill, which 

 he was obliged to get changed in an adjoining store. After the purchaser 

 had been gone some time the merchant discovered that the ten dollar bill was 

 counterfeit, and he at once returned it to the shoemaker, who gave him good 

 money for it. Now the question is, how much did the shoemaker lose ? 



