Show DEER MICE AS PETS never neter wy VT to gnaw their way out oat of I 1 the he cuff while rambling one evening in the woods F T sat down on a rock close blose by a shaded tank all overgrown with soft bott green moss and feathery ferns says st nicholas not tar far away the rc ra was an ancient tree stump with a hole bole running in neath it ft and what should I 1 see peeping out from the hole bole but the head of 0 a little reddish brown animal at first sight I 1 took it to be a chipmunk its large black eyes seemed full ot of apprehension and as I 1 moved it drew back out of 0 sight on rolling over the tump I 1 discovered beneath it some sime withered grass carefully rolled into a globular nest C cautiously drawing my handkerchief around this it I 1 tied it up with whatever it contained and hurried somewhat home whal what with my treasure on emptying the handkerchief into a box covered with wire gauze I 1 found that I 1 had captured two beautifully delicate and elegant creatures somewhat larger than mice their fur was thick and soft a rich velvet of reddish brown on the back and snowy white beneath their feet also were white dut but their chief beauty lay in their eyes great black liquid orbs arbs halt half protruding from the head no gazelle ever had eyes halt half so lovely they soon became quite tame and without showing any fear would allow me to put my hand into their cage to give fruits and berries they carried their nest into a corner of the cage and reconstructed it there after two weeks I 1 procured a large cocoanut coco anut sawed it in two and taking one halt half of it made to it a little doorway when I 1 put this into their cage turned mouth down they seemed to go will wild with the excitement of delight in and out they ran through the little doorway a hundred times in succession sometimes they would jump up on top of the co chanut and survey it all over and then after washing was hinc their faces with their delicate white paws jump down again and run inside soon they made up their minds to take possession of it as their home their nest in the corner they pulled to pieces and carried it off mouthful by mouthful into the little littie cocoanut coco anut hut there they havo have lived ever since during the daytime they sleep but when evening comes on they busy bruiy themselves running and jumping about the cage and they have never once in three years tried to gua gnaw W their way out |