4 



FOUR-HANDED FOLK. 



first that we should never make him comfortable, 

 although he was clad in a coat of thick wool, 

 which stood out like the wool of a sheep, and 

 would seem to be very warm. His cage, too, 

 stood close to the register, and was covered all 

 day by a thick double gray blanket. Yet he 

 would not rouse himself at all, unless the ther- 

 mometer stood at 78°, and to be lively he needed 

 it at 80°. This was somewhat smothering to the 

 family, but they heroically endured it for the 

 pleasure the little African gave them. 



All the long hours of daylight he passed simply 

 as a ball of fur, deaf to all coaxing, oblivious 

 alike of friend and foe; but during the night 

 he was wide awake, and as full of life as any 

 monkey. 



Not being able to see in the dark easily, lim- 

 its our acquaintances in the animal world, and 

 among others, with all my efforts, I never knew 

 my little pet as I wished, for light, even the dim- 

 mest, was a damper upon his freedom. I could 

 listen to him, to be sure, and I did, through as 

 many nights as I cared to give to it. What I 

 heard was curious and suggestive, and I could 

 fancy all sorts of performances, — turning of 

 somersaults, dancing of jigs, queer pushing, 

 shuffling, rustling, and gnawing, with straining 

 of the joints of the cage, rattling of dishes, and 

 now and then a fall to the floor, enough to break 

 his bones. 



