KIDD'S OWN JOURNAL. 



299 



my brother were hunting ferrets. We had observed, 

 nere and there, certain funny little round holes in 

 the snow ; and on applying our noses, we became : 

 acquainted with a peculiar odor. " What is it?" 

 said I to Carlo. " I'm blest if I know, Fino. i 

 Let us set to work, and, by scratching, find out. 

 It smells rather savory." We worked away like 

 niggers ; but while pausing a moment, just to take 

 breath,— "Hey ho! Carlo! look there!" said I, 

 11 what's that?" He never stopped to answer 

 me, but was off, like a mad fool ; and the little 

 beast slipped down one of these very little holes. 

 I saw it distinctly, and would have given Carlo 

 a sound thrashing for frightening it, had I not 

 learned to entertain respect for my elders. As it 

 was, I told him my mind ; when the unmannered 

 cub, instead of listening to me, and profiting by 

 what I said, actually had the insolence to turn 

 round, and grip me by the ear. Our quarrels 

 were sometimes disagreeable, — but never, Mr. 

 Editor, did we let the sun go down upon our wrath. 

 If mankind would only take the trouble to imitate 

 us poor dogs (I have often said this myself, and 

 often heard my old master say the same thing) in 

 these matters, — aye, and in some others too, — 

 how much more real happiness would exist 

 among us ! Let pride and conceit, treachery and 

 falsehood, be universally discarded from among 

 mankind, say I, as it is among dogs ; and let 

 honesty and sobriety, fidelity and truth, replace 

 them. Then, Mr. Editor, what a different world 

 this would be ! [So it would, Fino.] 



Having now loitered about till we were pretty 

 sure nothing more was to be got, and our appetites 

 becoming very sharp, — Bombyx said to Jean, 

 "Well Jean, what do you make the time?" 

 " Voyons voir," replied Jean, with an expressive 

 smile and stroke of the chin ; at the same time 

 producing his tabatiere, and invigorating his 

 olfactory nerves. "I think," said he, "by the 

 time we get to the Chalet, the jambon and sausage 

 will be done to a nicety. I will tie up a bundle of 

 Bubus, which Monsieur can keep fresh for three 

 or four days, and then we'll go and have a warm. 

 I take it, we shall do no more good." 

 " None at all, Jean." 



We had just turned round with the intention of 

 making the best of our way to the Chalet, when 

 we heard the well-known melodious voice of the 

 old Grandpapa des Papillons blithely singing : — 



" Quand une jeune fille 

 Voudra moudre son bled, 

 Quand une jeune fille 

 Voudra moudre son bled. 

 II faut qu'elle soit gentille, 

 11 faut qu'elle soit a mongre. 

 Ah ! venez y toutes, mes belles jeunes filles 



moudre, 

 A notre moulin, 

 Ah ! venez y toutes, mes belles jeunes filles 



moudre, 

 A notre moulin." 



" Ah ! bon jour, Bombyx. Bon jour, mes chers 

 enfans " 



" Bon jour, brave Vieillard. Qu'avez vous de 

 bon?" 



" Je vois toujours ce drole de Jean qui rit." 



" Monsieur is come to dine with us, I hope." 



" Parbleu ! Oui, Jean. Listen ! I was just 

 coming up to see how the wood looked, when 

 mine hostess of the Chalet told me you were 

 somewhere about, but she expected you at three 

 o'clock. If I had not fallen in with you, I should 

 have returned to the Chalet." 



Jean, with his characteristic kindness of heart 

 (oh ! what a man he was, Mr. Editor ! — one of a 

 million !), placed his athletic body by the side of 

 our worthy octogenarian, to be of use in case of a 

 helping hand being required ; and merrily trudging 

 along, we arrived at the reiidezvous. 



I know not of anything more contributing to 

 the enjoyment of good health, than a rough day's 

 sport in winter. It produces a freshness and 

 elasticity both of mind and body, which are quite 

 exhilarating. Then the return to the blazing fire 

 at the Chalet, after our sport in the wood ! There 

 was the long table nicely covered with a snow- 

 white table-cloth. Bottles of old Red wine were 

 set before the cheerful fire, just to have the chill 

 taken off ; the exquisite soup was arranged by 

 mine hostess ; and plenty of savory little mor- 

 ceaux brought up in the clean " Bagnolet" for the 

 two handsome dogs, expressly by Mon Mari him- 

 self. Imagine every one, also, with an appetit de 

 loilp, and you will readily admit that, even in the 

 depth of winter, an entomological party is a cheerful 

 one, — especially where all are intent upon prac- 

 tically studying entomology, and not losing their 

 time in quarrelling about the particular name or 

 synonyme that should be given to any particular 

 insect. 



Full justice having been done to the jambon 

 and saucisse, we would return home about dusk ; 

 and the remainder of the evening till supper-time 

 would be spent in listening to the remarks of the 

 old grandpapa on various insects ; whilst myself 

 and my brother would creep on each side of the 

 kitchen fire, where cook had got some fine large 

 potatoes roasting dans les cendres, a favorite repast 

 of our aged guest. After supper, at which myself 

 and my brother never failed to be present, Bombyx 

 would bring up a "krug" of delicious "Kirschen- 

 wasser," from the Foret Noire, accompanied by 

 boiling water and sugar ; and old grandpapa, who 

 was a genuine troubadour, and sung with great taste 

 and fine feeling, would enliven us with some sweet 

 romances of upwards of a half-century earlier. At 

 eleven o'clock he would light his little lantern, 

 and wrap up his aged body in a good warm mantle. 

 Then would the ever-noble Jean poke his nose out 

 of the kitchen : — 



" Un moment, Monsieur! Je suis pret, Mon- 

 sieur me permettra de porter cette petite lanterne, 

 et de le voir sauf et sain a la maison. Cela me fera 

 bel et bien plaisir." 



" Bravo ! bravo ! excellent et digne Jean. Je 

 voudrais bien qu'il y avait encore au monde 

 d'autres comme vous." 

 And off they went. 



Shortly after, we retired to our resting quarters ; 

 which were so comfortably contrived that neither 

 the intense cold nor the severe Bise had any in- 

 convenient effect upon us. The only thing that 

 used to annoy me was the restless temper of my 

 brother, who would be in and out every five minutes. 

 I am bad enough myself, Mr. Editor, but not such 

 a fidget as he was. He really became a perfect 

 nuisance. I should certainly have given him many 



