Chippings.

Chippings .

A BIG RATTLESNAKE .

IIOAV THEY 1 'LAYED IT ON DOUGHERTY . One day last week four or five Detroiters went into Macomb county to shoot squirrels and kick their shins against logs and fence rails . They had just eaten a cold

lunch in the Avoods one noon when one of the party , a young man named Dougherty , stretched out on his back , pulled his hat over his eyes , and gave his mind up to the Avork of assisting his body to catch a little rest . The remainder of the party having

an understanding beforehand , quietly withdreAv , one by one . One of them passed round to a bush , near 'Doug herty ' s feet , and took a tin rattle-box from his pocket . Another stood close to the young man ' s legsandin a suppressed voicewhen the

, , , signal was given , Avhispered : " For your OAVU sake , Dougherty , don ' t move as much as a finger ? A big rattlesnake is right under your leg J " Dougherty Avas flat on his back , ejes covered , arms sprawled out , and his voice

trembled as he replied : " Oh dear ! Avhat shall I do ?" " Keep perfectly quite ! It is your onl y hope ! If you even raise a finger he will dart his fangs into you !" The man with the rattle-box gaA'e it a

shake , and reached out and laid a club across Dougherty ' s legs , Avhile the other man moved off about twenty feet and exclaimed :

"Gracious , Avhat can we do ? If Ave shoot we may kill Dougherty . " The club was rolled off on the ground , and the victim Avhispered : " For mercy sake kill it ?" The club was rolled over his legs again , the box shaken , and the . man Avhispered back :

" Be quiet , or it is instant death ! I think the snake Avauts to go to sleep , aud if yoa Avill keep still you will be all ri ght . " The box Avas shaken , the club moved round , aud finally the " snake " seemed to Dougherty to settle doAvn on his breast . He dared not Avhisper for fear of rousing it , but one of the men called out : " There it is asleep . AVo'll moA'e aAvay and wait for it to glide off ! "

The whole croAvd moved off behind a bank , and laughed and rolled and tore up the dirt until they Avere exhausted , while poor Dougherty lay there like a log , not even daring to draw an ordinary breath . The perspiration ran CIOAVU his face , and started

out from his body until his shirt was ringing Avet . The fellows took their guns and tramped aAva 3 ' , leaving him thus , and Avere gone for an hour and a half . When they returned Dougherty Avas sitting up , having discovered the joke about five

minutes preA'iously . He did not have a word to say , but there Avas a Avhole unabridged dictionary in his eye . They spoke to him , but for answer he rose uj ) , shouldered his gun , made a bee-line for the highway , and none of the party has met him since —Detroit Free Press .

In a very well-known toAvn in Vermont there is a flourishing colony of Irish settlers , AVIIO have cultivated the soil to some profit . Some of the number emigrated a Few years since to seek their fortune else-Avhere . One of them returned for a visit , and making enquiries as to his old friends ,

amongst them was one Jim Donnovan . " Ah I Ned , where is Jim Donnovan ? " Oh ! sure , he has settled CIOAVU intirely , and is well on ; but , bad luck to him , he went to Mont-real , and married a little Protestant girl . " " Married what ? " "A Protestant girl . " " May the divil fly away Avith him . AA hy didn ' t he marry one of his OAVU six ?"

A very beautiful Jewess at a party lately AT as much annoyed by an impertinent fop . At length he asked , tauntingly "And you never eat pork , Miss M . ?" "Never , sir , " she replied , " our religion teaches \\ s to avoid everything SAvinish ; you Avillthereforeexcuse my declining any

, , further conversation Avith you . " A Avitty man , speaking of a friend AVIIO Avas prostrated "b y illness , remarked that he could hardly recover , since his constitution Avas all gone . "If his constitution is all gone , " said a bystander , " I do not see

IIOAV he lives at all . " " Oh , " responded the wag , " he lives on the bye-laws . ' ' A gentleman Avas examining an umbrella , and commented upon the fine quality . " Yes , " said a person presen t , "he fancies everything ho sees . " " And , added a third party , "is inclined to seize everything he fancies . "