THE BLOOMERS AND THE EATS. 
tr- 
uest for her young. At last Boxer finished his work by 
fixing his fore feet upon the hat, and tearing it all to pieces, 
just as the two mothers entered. 
To describe the old lady's horror and indignation at the 
scene were a thing impossible. Besides, always when she 
came down to the farm, it was her invariable custom to put 
on her utmost dignity, because master was her younger 
brother, with whom she always exercised the right of 
quarrelling ; consequently they never met without a row. 
By this time Eliza had somewhat recovered ; and John, to 
evade his sister's glances, as well as to find out where the 
rats had their retreats, went groping into all the corners, 
and lastly into an old cuj^board. " Holloa," said he, " why, 
what's this down the rat-holes^' at the same time dragging 
it forth, and holding it up to view, — Why, dang my 
buttons," he roared out, ^'if 'tisn't the gal's Bloomers !" 
It would appear that, in the contention overnight, the rats 
had slit them up to the waistband ; and, in their retreat, 
each party had dragged a leg down their respective holes. 
You may easily imagine what state the Bloomers were in. 
The old lady, in a towering passion, rushed at John, and 
snatching them out of his hands, declared he was " the most 
ignorantest fool she ever knowed ;" and concluded by stating, 
what a curse it was to think that she should be related to 
such a brute. 
The old lady was gathering herself up for a perfect storm, 
when John told his wife that he could be of no further use 
to them, so he would go about his farm, and leave them to 
settle the matter the best way they could. 
And now I shall conclude with two more observations : 
first, that this affair had the effect of entirely curing Eliza's 
propensity for Bloomerism ; and secondly, that the cause 
of these disasters seems to have arisen from the fact, that 
Eliza, being out for a day's holiday, had used musk rather 
freely. Bats, being naturally fond of that scent, had been 
attracted by its odour to the spot ; and hence arose the 
great battle for the Bloomers. 
