As it grew she allowed it a little free- 

 dom, and usually it was very docile, obey- 

 ing her every call ; but when disobedient 

 she would slap it and give it a box on 

 the ear; but this seldom happened, for 

 a monkey child is a model child and 

 might serve as an example to many hu- 

 man children. 



But I think you would have found it 

 extremely odd could you have seen her 

 eat. She would frequently take fruit, or 

 anything offered, with her long, prehen- 

 sile tail and curling the end around the 

 object, would convey it to her mouth. 

 She would eat almost everything eaten by 

 her captors, but would not reject an oc- 

 casional insect, spider, or even a young 

 bird. 



Happiest when permitted to hang on 

 the tree boughs, she would drink from 

 the overhanging branches without touch- 

 ing the ground. In fact she was only 

 perfectly at home when climbing around 

 the trees, as she was comparatively awk- 

 ward when on the ground, walking on 

 all fours in a somewhat clumsy manner. 

 Like all Spider Monkeys, she was of a 

 gentle, teachable disposition, for all South 

 American monkeys lack many of the mis- 

 chievous and disagreeable traits of their 

 African cousins, though as a rule they 



are not as bright and vivid in color and 

 are duller and more indolent in their 

 nature. 



On the other hand the American mon- 

 keys do little damage to man, for the 

 vast forests which form their home (they 

 are found in the warm countries of Mex- 

 ico, Central and South America, and nev- 

 er in a very high altitude) provide for 

 them so fully that they have no need of 

 man's help. The natives depend very 

 much on monkey meat as a food and hunt 

 them with bow and arrows, while travel- 

 ers are often obliged to subsist upon 

 monkey roasts for weeks together and 

 do not find them very bad fare. 



Aside from the Miriki Spider Monkey, 

 of which our little mother was so inter- 

 esting a specimen, the traveling party 

 from time to time encountered other spe- 

 cies of the Spider Monkey, of which 

 there are many. All have similar charac- 

 teristics but vary somewhat in size and 

 color. 



You will be interested to know that 

 the monkey mother and her funny baby 

 were finally brought in safety to the 

 United States, where as far as I know, 

 they are still living and are happy and 

 much treasured pets. 



John Ainslie. 



NOVEMBER. 



Though I sorrow it to say, 

 November is a churl alway, 

 Miserly, beside the fire, 

 Just outside the echoing choir, 

 Sits he peevishly, and ponders 

 On this life and all its wonders, 

 Hearing through the grudging screen 

 Organ notes, that slip between 

 Prayers for dead men and dead hopes, 

 While the priests, in 'broidered copes, 

 Sing to heaven; yet not for him 

 Goes up the incense or the hymn. 



Fie, November! 

 — Walter Thornbury, "The Twelve Brothers." 



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