THE GREAT WOODCHUCK SOCIETY. 219

“Ladies and gentlemen: The woodchuck is gone. We
caught him between us. (She modestly omitted to mention
the little circumstance connected with her apron.) ‘“ We
caught him together, ladies and gentlemen. And we’ve let
him go. We thought we would n’t — sKIN him. It sounded
so! And he’d lost two claws, ladies and gentlemen, and
was in great pain and terror. So we let him go. And we ’ve
decided, ladies and gentlemen, to let them aLL go. We will
catch no more woodchucks. It must be so unpleasant to be
a woodchuck and be — skinned, ladies and gentlemen! Con-
sequently, we have decided to give up the woodchucks, and
to have a picnic at five o’clock precisely, five cents’ subscrip-
tion all around, and lemonade and nuts.”

(The Chairman had never heard of this before, looked
visibly agitated, but not ill-pleased.)

“ And, ladies and gentlemen, rather than to— SKIN any
more poor little brown-gray woodchucks with two claws gone,
we have decided to unite the Woodchuck and Tatting Asso-
ciations into one united Pienic Club” (evident surprise on
the countenance of the Chairman). ‘ You will please to
elect your officers at your pleasure, ladies and gentlemen ;
and also a Branch Department, to which we may connect a
Base-ball Ground and a Skating Rink,— and not éoo many.
nuts, on account of a headache Thursday morning.”

The President of the extinct Tatting Club sat down on the
fence amidst great applause. Her motion was seconded, car-
ried, and executed with despatch ; indeed, the girls seemed