WHERE IGNORANCE IS BLISS, ETC.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1234, 2 September 1884, Page 3

WHERE IGNORANCE IS BLISS, ETC.

The young man who lives in Philadelphia ventured out alone in the country few days ago looking for a specimen of natural history. He saw hanging from a low bush by the roadside a strange object, very much like a small balloon, made ot coarse grev paper, This singular thing seemed to be just the specimen he wanted. He broke off the branch from which the curiosity was suspended, aud went to the station. He entered a well-filled car, placed his specimen in a hnt-rack, and sank into a doze. Suddenly the artificial summer atmosphere wv? rent by an unearthly shriek, aud a lady rose convulsively, and just as suddenly fainted. Before the startled passengers had time to discover the cause of the alarm, another lady repeated the performance. A third, who began it in the same manner, would probably have finished without any change in the programme, had she not received a sudden shock that acted like hartshorn, and saved her from losing consciousness, and just behind her a man began to declaira in a manner truly diabolical. And, as if matters were not already bad enough, a baby set up a yell and would not be comforted. The passengers soon got into a strange commotion. The men were dancing and some of them bellowing ; the women trembling, fainting, and shrieking; the children scrambling under the seats, and blubbering and whimpering. The young man awoke in amazement. Then the conductor burst through the crowd and stood before the young man, and seizing the pre-historic specimen threw it out of the window with all his strength. “Impertinence!” shrieked the young man. “ How drre you touch my specimen ?” “ Your specimen 1” roared the conductor. “ Why, you fool, don’t you know it’s a hornet’s nest?”