230 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
[June, 
^ 
Xhe Pet Sjam1>. 
"Mary had a Utile lamb," thousands of girls and boys 
will say or Ihink to themselves, as tliey look Upon this 
pleasant picture. Tliat simple little story in verse, which 
we used to read many years ago, is the delight of chil- 
dren now, and will be as long as the 
Knglish language lasts. Why? Be- 
cause there is love In it. A lamb is a 
very lovable pet. Its innocence and 
playfulness make it a favorite with 
all. One of these creatures was many 
years ago brought up at the home- 
stead of the writer. It was found 
motherless and chilled in the field, 
one spring monilng. The ewe had 
refused to own it, and it was tlien 
adopted by two little girls who soon 
nursed it into a strong, and frolic- 
some playmate. A young puppy and 
a kitten were being cared for at the 
same time, and the three used to take 
their meals from the same dish, and 
afterward made great sport by their 
playful pranks — scampering up and 
down the yard, barking, bleating, 
mewing, butting, scratching and bit- 
ing, each after its own fashion. The 
final history of the three was some- 
what sad. *'Dick," the lamb, giew 
large and saucy. Several times he 
gave a younger brother of the girls a 
pretty severe drubbing, butting him 
without mercy ; and he was finally 
turned into mutton by a butcher who 
bought and carried him away. Kitty 
died a victim to experiments with 
some drug, ma'le by a boy in the fimi- 
ily. "Tip." tlie dog, grew to be a 
most useful farm assistant. He would 
drive away or bring home the cows 
as well as a boy could do, except let- 
ting down the bars ; but no stray 
cattle or swine would he allow to 
trespass on the premises. He was, 
however, an inveterate lighter, and 
would attack any dog, no matter how 
large, tliat came near him. One day 
he "caught a Tartar.'' He oliallenged 
a much stronger animal than him- 
self, and In llie battle which followed, 
was so badly nijured, that he was kil- 
led by his owner to put him out of 
misery. Thus, one of the pets perished 
by misfortune, the other two suffered the penalty of 
bad habits, which had grown out of their youthful sports. 
Scene in n ITEocS^ Auction Sliop* 
Our artist heard the old cry of " Going I going ! gone !" 
while passing a stoie on Broadway, the otlier day, and 
stepped in to look on. Having his eyes well trained by 
long and careful use, he 
soon saw that it was a 
mock auction shop. The 
auctioneer was a sharp 
looking man with a brazen 
voice, and a brassy face, 
selling a gold (brass)watch. 
Nobody appeared to be buy- 
ing any thing. One man 
was pretending to examine 
a watch, but he was only a 
" stool pigeon," tliat is, one 
who makes believe pur- 
chase, in order to lead 
others into being swindled. 
Another of the gang was 
disputing with a not very 
respectable looking young 
woman. However, the auc- 
tioneer did not seem at all 
discouraged for want of 
customers. He talked and 
hammered away as though 
doing a most lively trade. 
On looking a little more 
closely, our artist discover- 
ed something more. He 
saw two pickpockets at 
work, one of them l)usy at 
the pocket of a man who 
stood looking at a large 
of pickpockets," and the other standing ready to take 
from his companion's hand what lie might succeed in 
stealing. On looking around he also saw a policeman 
with club in hand, standing close by, watching the whole 
proceeding, and ready to pounoe on the two rascals. This 
was one secret of the mock auctioneers' trade. He was 
Irving to keep a crowd of people together, while his as- 
sistants picked their pockets, if he himself could not suc- 
ceed in doing it by selling them sham watches and jew- 
M B. 
elry. Below Is a sketch of the scene. The pickpockets 
and the policeman are shown, although it may lake some 
careful looking to see lliem. They are no more concealed, 
however, than pickpockets and thief catchers usually are, 
and we hope that after studying out the picture, some will 
remember it when they come to New York, and keep 
clear of mock auction sliops, and " Beware of pickpock- 
ets," in a crowd. The old proverb, " Birds of a feather 
hill which said, "Beware 
6CENE IN A MOCK AUCTION SHOP.— A PUZZLE PICTURE. 
flock together " will be found especially true in this case. 
"Cheap jewelry," gift enterprises, mock auctions and lot- 
teries, pretended " Bankrupt Stocks," etc., are generally 
conducted by those whose company it is safest to avoid. 
Wliy is tliere UniTormity ? 
In Barnum's Museum, in this city, among other curi- 
osities, is a bull having three perfect horns ; the addition- 
al one grows straight out from the center of its foiehead. 
In all other respects the bull resembles other ordinary 
animals of its kind. Cases are known 
,,.^^ where horns have grown on the heads 
>s. of men and women. One such was 
"^^ recently described in the Medical and 
\ Surgical Reporter, published in New 
York. Many of our readers may have 
seen persons having six fingers on 
each hand, and six toes on each foot ; 
there are many such in the world. 
The Bible speaks of a race of giants 
in Ancient Palestine, who had this pe- 
culiarity. Other strange "freaks of 
Nature,'* as tliey are called, occasional- 
ly appear, such as lambs with an extra 
leg, or calves with one head too many. 
Among vegetable growths there are oc- 
currences not less singular. Not very 
many years since a beecli tree was ob- 
served whose branches all drooped like 
those of a weeping willow. Cions from 
this were grafted into other trees, and 
by this means the weeping beech was 
propagated, so that now it is for sale at 
most large nurseries. Similar unac- 
countable "sports" are found among 
flowers and vegetables of almost every 
variety ; the four-leaved clover will 
occur to many as a common example. 
Now to us, the wonder is not that such 
things occur, but that they do not take 
place more frequentij'. Why is it that 
among the thousand million and more 
human beings on the globe, the in- 
numerable animals, and the countless 
vegetables, so few are found which do 
not follow the same general formation. 
This is the more worthy of thought 
when we notice that no two individ- 
uals of any species are exactly alike in 
all particulars. Each one has some 
peculiar mark by which it may be dis- 
tinguished from every other one. Thus, 
no two faces have precisely the same 
shape, color, and expression, yet in 
every one we expect to find two eyes, 
a nose, a mouth, and all in the same 
relative position. So with animals. The 
different sheep in a large flock may 
each be recognized by an experienced shepherd, as each 
has its own peculiarities, but not one in ten thousand 
shows any departure from the regular pattern. The same 
thing is true in all living things. This is the more won- 
derful when we consider the great number of processes 
going on in each individual body, by which the different 
parts of the frame are built up. One part of the blood 
is to furnish bones, another flesh, other portions supply 
nerves, skin, hair,nails, etc., 
etc. How few apparent 
mistakes are made in the 
complicated \%ork. What 
confusion would result if it 
were otherwise. Who could 
tell that what should be a 
finger nail might not soon 
grow from the end of his 
nose ; or that a tuft of hair 
should not spring from the 
center of bis eye, or that 
the bony substance might 
not be deposited on the 
outside, and soon envelop 
him in a shell like a lob- 
ster! What if there were 
uncertainty as to how ap- 
ples or peaches would 
grow, one year showing 
them on the branches, the 
next clinging to the roots of 
the tree, like potatoes ? 
These few illustrations 
from the thousands that 
miglit be found in every de- 
partment of life, show as 
plainly as any evidence 
can, that an intelligent con- 
trolling power directs' the 
course of all matter, causing it to conform to a gen- 
eral plan which He has laid out, and which He in mercy 
as well as wisdom designs shall be observed by all His 
creation, thus preserving harmony throughout all nature. 
