THE RAT. 215 



is now allowed to remain in the different nooks 

 and crannies commonly found near ancient dwell- 

 ings, there is no place of shelter left to conceal 

 any stray individual whose bowels may chance to 

 yearn for one more repast on cheese or bacon. 

 In the mean time, the cat and the owl meet with 

 no obstructions, while prowling for those which 

 may still linger in the environs. The mice, too, 

 seem to have taken the alarm. In a word, not a 

 single mouse or rat is to be found in any part of 

 the house, from the cellars to the attic stories. 



In case it were not convenient or practicable to 

 adopt similar precautions to those already enume- 

 rated, I would suggest what follows: Take a 

 quantity of oatmeal that would fill a common-sized 

 wash-hand basin ; add to this two pounds of coarse 

 brown sugar, and one dessert spoonful of arsenic. 

 Mix these ingredients very well together, and then 

 put the composition into an earthen jar. From 

 time to time place a table-spoonful of this in the 

 runs which the rats frequent, taking care that it is 

 out of the reach of innocuous animals. They will 

 partake of it freely ; and it will soon put an end 

 to all their depredations. 



Rats are fond of frequenting places where there, 

 are good doings ; while their natural sagacity 

 teaches them to retire in time from a falling house. 

 This knack at taking care of self seems common 

 both to man and brute. Hence the poet : 



" Donee eris felix, multos numerabis amicos ; 



Tempora si fuerint nubila, solus eris." 



p 4 



