148 “mrs. nimrod’s” discovery. 
that direction for the sentiment, they should be 
noble and attractive enough to monopolize it 
themselves. 
The devotion is the same, whatever it is given 
to. If it is to science, as we have seen, it will 
take a woman repeatedly through hardships 
enough to kill her if endured without its enthu- 
siasm, and she will grow stronger every day; 
it will make her forget that the most repulsive 
work is disagreeable ; it will enable her to skin 
turkey-buzzards and mount skunks ! How great 
is the power of woman’s devotion !— Mrs. Max- 
well has five of these latter animals in her 
collection. 
I am perfectly aware that this is a subject — 
not the devotion, but that pertaining to the quad- 
rupeds — to be handled with perfumed gloves ; 
but I am obliged to state that two members of 
the most unpopular branch of the family, Musteli - 
dee — a devoted mother and her young — were the 
objects for which Mrs. Maxwell ordered that inter- 
ruption of their homeward progress (I trust this 
is stated with sufficient delicacy ! ) 
“ What do you see, Mrs. Nimrod?” asked Mr. 
Maxwell, stopping his horses. 
“ The prettiest old skunk and her kitten,” Mrs. 
Maxwell replied, dismounting from her pony, a 
restless little beast ; and taking her gun from its 
supports on the side of her saddle. 
