Petting The Tiger

I romeinbor ïeading a fcw woilthfl npnt of i mothei visi! , ii b ber 1 tvely infant in hcr arma. As thoy stood tiger's cage, tlir animal apparently quièt, permitted the oareasea oí th6 ohild, :m i : 1 1 .. ■ ! ■;. iilu-r thinking iti tho control ofiis ke Ecagod by Lron bats, rclaxod b ico, wnoñ gaddonly tho tigor seized the ohild, and in one fatal momont it booajne iis n v. 1 thouht, asi read the paragraph, how many wone than tigers' oages we Imvc ull over tliis loved " Land of the Êree " of ours. 'L'lu'v fortn ;ilmost an unbroken net-work fnuii '■ ■■■ to oooan. 'Tis a palaoe-like building in ve, i loss pretentiousone there, a tent out on the plaino, anda shanty down by tbc railroad. liich holds alüe the same onemy - the èparkling wino-cup. Do you soa those two friends shaking Kanda bo toartily, on the steps f ydndor grand hotel? xhoy have not met since boyhood'8 dayg, and now middle age claims thotn. "Come in, l'rcd. With a social glagg !■:■( w. 'c:i u., wi'Tl talk over by-gones. Waiter - somc of your best ohampagno. No shaking of jour hcad, Fred tbr- Ve'll tnko a cup of Idn Xncu y't, Foi WM laug yt&.'" The champagne is brought; mom wall is dusted, and tho friends aro quickly reviewing tho pat. "Have your gluss fillod again Fred, 'iis really worth vchile to take a disughi trom Mióse giassos, wc uesign is a tnumph of art. We have liyed this long without i'iiy harm from the bh (irful ■ '.■ havo wills strong asiron bars, aud tin v cao gnardwith mastoivlike vi;_r E we have n Bo tho glaseos wero filled and t'; and as thoj " Turn Imi'kwari:, uil Time, in vour ft Make iu & aguift, jast tir to-night." - w !■:■ filled with tenre. A t.lmil timo tho glasses wero iiiled, and "Hoi ■ hcalth to i'm ■ ■." ?as sung with the vim of college i Tben thoy parted. But mark thesëquol. The aj.ijiotito which they boosted was oagod With strong wills had bern il. The desire beoame a tige, and in onc short year onc of tliu jolly frionda iiiled. a drunkard's grave and the other, a wrede, (iwclt in a maniao's ooll. Do you soo those tenta gtretohed out on the Western plaing 'i Yery puro and wliite tbi'y look, undulflting in the prairiB winda. Öurely nothing that reqoiieg chango can dweil thore. "Halloo, Dick, a ritjlit smart clmncc ' f jv a ooUl day. (it aaything fora idlcr to drink, just for a good start ': " He La :■ pleasant-faceci teamster, but he ia b 'ginning to pet the tiger. "Yes, I reckon, Tom, come in, your will. stand, ainL wo'll take a ■■ ] novor w.is any hand to drink, I and its hoen fifteen years sinc l'y I sn hiky, lui! iL T cin ■ Di nveraftera load for oíd Brown'sqnartz uiill without a dram to warm me up in thi.s snowstórm, aiid the wind blowing as aharp ;is a box of Yankee ncedles all the time." "Wull, don't fret, my boy, you look as no account as a sage-bnsh, but here's what will set you houncin' - so hore'a to your g mine " So good natured Toni visitcd the tiger's oage, and his companiona will teil you, "it, iv;;s too bad, but Tom drink his life away." Thero is a section of railroad to lic furnished speedily. AU hands are wry busy and it seems tó if .there was no üme to " pot tigurs." By that hillsideisa little brpwn shanty, and a sign painted with rougli letters says i Juli)' ISixrhar. "Tho top of the raornin to yè, Mikc, we'll have a drink for tliinkin' uf dear old Cork, the most blessod place where tho acá sliin's at all - at all." "And its Linierick, me b'y, where tlio sun'a shinin' gould. Eycry mithor's son shont for Linierick - " " I ■' - ( lork, I say - " " [t's Liin.rick ! " '■ By the houly vixgia, yo shall say Cork.15 With one poworfnl lilow Mikeis stretohed apon the rough - gone to his last eokoning and liis opponont in a few raonths soffers the full penalty of his , rime. The tigor madn quiele work that mbrning." Is it not sclf-evident that thero aro worae than tigers inourlaud, those which dostroy both body and the er pets lus owii destróyer f-