THE RAT. 



215 



allowed to remain in the different nooks and crannies 

 commonly found near ancient dwellings, there is 

 no place of shelter left to conceal any stray indi- 

 vidual 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 



