14 
THE EAT. 
were made out of the mud of the Nile, and assert that they 
have seen them in the process of lormation, being half rat, 
half mud. 
After all, it matters little from whence rats came. Here 
they are ; and how to get rid of them will form the subject 
of the following pages. 
CHAPTEE II. 
THE UNREASONABLE FEAR OF RATS. 
I KNOW of no one thing so universally detested, or so 
unjustly charged with everything that is foul, treacherous, 
and disgusting, as the rat. I say imjustly, because what- 
ever it does, like every other animal, it is only following the 
bent of its nature. But, at) the same time, I believe a vast 
amount of the disgust exhibited at the bare mention of its 
name to be mere affectation. The most striking instance I 
ever met with took place one evening in London, where a 
friend of mine supped, or rather was to have supped, with a 
party by invitation, the good lady having invited her friends, 
in the temporary absence of her husband. I here give his 
own account. 
The party met, and as he was the only stranger present, 
of course the formality of introducing him to each was 
indispensable. This ceremony being concluded, the supper 
was served up. There were roast ducks, fowls roast and 
boiled, plovers, curried rabbits, ham, lamb, &c., v/ith vege- 
tables of all kinds, and soups and sauces in profusion. They 
were all seated round the table in pairs, to please the peculiar 
notions of the amiable hostess. There were four Miss 
So-and-So's, of different surnames, and four Master So-and- 
So's to correspond. They were packed up two and two, 
and there was plenty of everything but room. Then there 
were Mr. and Mrs. Tweedle, and Mr. and Mrs. Button. These 
four, as a matter of course, claimed their matrimonial 
prerogatives. The good landlady herself was seated at the 
head of the table ; thus making a comfortable pic-nic party of 
fifteen. The covers were removed, and the steam rose in 
