attention and respect. He then grew cool, and began to use her with much
cruelty. His treatment made her wretched and dull.

"One day, the crew noticed that he treated her with more kindness than
usual, but did not suspect the wicked scheme he had in mind. At last,
after winning her favor anew, he persuaded her to go aloft with him, and
drew her attention to an object in the distance, when he suddenly gave
her a push, which threw her into the sea.

"This cruel act seemed to afford him much gratification, for he
descended in high spirits."

"I should think they would have punished him," said Minnie, with great
indignation.

"Perhaps they did, love. At any rate, it proves that beauty is by no
means always to be depended upon."

Mrs. Lee then took her sewing, but Minnie plead so earnestly for one
more story, a good long one, that her mother, who loved to gratify her,
complied, and read the account which I shall give you in closing this
chapter on Minnie's pet monkey.

"A gentleman, returning from India, brought a monkey, which he presented
to his wife. She called it Sprite, and soon became very fond of it.

"Sprite was very fond of beetles, and also of spiders, and his mistress
used sometimes to hold his chain, lengthened by a string, and make him
run up the curtains, and clear out the cobwebs for the housekeeper.

"On one occasion, he watched his opportunity, and snatching the chain,
ran off, and was soon seated on the top of a cottage, grinning and
chattering to the assembled crowd of schoolboys, as much as to say,
'Catch me if you can.' He got the whole town in an uproar, but finally
leaped over every thing, dragging his chain after him, and nestled
himself in his own bed, where he lay with his eyes closed, his mouth
open, his sides ready to burst with his running.

"Another time, the little fellow got loose, but remembering his former
experience, only stole into the shed, where he tried his hand at
cleaning knives. He did not succeed very well in this, however, for the
handle was the part he attempted to polish, and, cutting his fingers, he
relinquished the sport.

"Resolved not to be defeated, he next set to work to clean the shoes and
boots, a row of which were awaiting the boy. But Sprite, not remembering
all the steps of the performance, first covered the entire shoe, sole
and all, with the blacking, and then emptied the rest of the Day &
Martin into it, nearly filling it with the precious fluid. His coa