Page:An Australian Parsonage.djvu/237

208 of the bottom of an old carpet-bag, we resigned all prior right to it in her favour, and hung up the bag on a nail in a little empty chamber which we gave up to her as "Possie's room" thenceforward, thinking that if we could not tone down her bump of destructiveness our next best course was to take from her all chance of employing it.

I lifted her out of the bag every morning and gave her a breakfast of milk, which she would drink most eagerly, diving her head deep into the jug, but as she grew older she weaned herself, and chose tea in preference. In course of time she would either jump upon my shoulder at breakfast and curl her tail round my throat, or would sit beside me on the table holding bread in her fore paws like a squirrel; showing no signs of native wildness unless we gave her something that she thought especially nice, such as cake or apricots, when, seeming to fear that the possession of such dainties might be disputed, she would instantly scamper across the floor with the prize in her mouth, and dashing up a flight of shelves would sit on the topmost one to enjoy her feast in leisurely security.

The time at which she slept most heavily appeared to be about four o'clock in the afternoon, but in the earlier part of the day she was easily awakened; and if I held a bunch of flowers at the mouth of the carpet-bag they would be gently drawn inwards, and sometimes a little pink nose would rise above the opening, but this was only when the flowers were of a sort that Possie best liked, as roses or raspberry-jam blossoms. Sugar and preserves she also ate very greedily, and seemed in all respects so delicate a feeder that for a long while I doubted whether people spoke truly in telling me that opossums were in