THIEVISH PROPENSITIES OF RATS. 
81 
The skins of the dogs are liung np to dry, and those of the 
cats are carefully stuffed with straw ; the flit of both is 
carefully collected and melted down, and the paws and tails 
are sold to the glue-makers. The commissioners say they 
never entered this establishment without finding a great 
number of dogs and cats flayed, disembowelled, and trussed 
with the greatest care, and quite ready for the spit or 
stewing- pan. The heads and tails are always cut off ; these 
dogs and cats, thus prepared, present a very tempting appear- 
ance, and it would be difficult to distinguish them from 
animals of the same size which are admitted to our tables. 
Here let me remark^ that it is a pity that the gour- 
mands of Paris should look down upon these humbler 
eating-houses with such an air of contempt ; for it must be 
a source of gratification for them to know that they are 
never likely to experience any want of frogs' legs to make 
patties and fricassees, while there are plenty of young rats at 
Montfaucon. 
CHAPTER IX. 
' THIEVISH PROPENSITIES OF RATS. 
The furtive habits of rats are among the most alarming 
evils of domestic life, and often pregnant with mischievous 
consequences in the family circle. It is not unreasonable 
to suppose (indeed I have known such to be the case) that 
domestics have from time to time been suspected of frauds 
and thefts, and discharged without characters ; and neigh- 
bours and acquaintances have struggled under gross sus- 
picions of crimes of which they h^i-ve been perfectly innocent, 
while the midnight marauders and furtive rats have been 
the real delinquents. 
I recollect reading in the papers some years since a very 
distressing circumstance of this kind. The sufferer was an 
interesting orphan girl, the daughter of once respectable 
parents, but who had been, by the death of her parents, 
reduced to the capacity of an ordinary servant. Her 
master and mistress, who were somewhat advanced in 
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