She rattled the box, and found some pleasure in the noise it made. I had put into it a small key to make it rattle, and also some bits of candy. NELLIE WITH THE MATCH-BOX I do not know of any investment of mine which ever yielded such a great return in pleasure as one little pocket match-safe which cost me twenty-five cents, and which I gave to Nellie one evening to play with. A monkey is always happy if he has something to play with and plenty to eat. It is cruel, absolutely cruel, to keep these little creatures confined in solitude and deny them the simple pleasure they find in playing with a bell, ball or marbles and besides this, a trifling outlay in this way will very much prolong their lives. They are just like children in this respect, and for a trifle one can furnish them with all the toys they need. As an act of humanity and simple justice, I would impress upon those who keep such little pets how important a thing it is to keep them supplied with toys. It is true they do not have to toil, but I think it would be more humane to make them work in the open air than to confine them so closely, and then deprive them of every source of pleasure. Nellie would beg me so piteously to be taken from her little iron prison that I could not have the cruelty to refuse her, even at the cost of some trouble in preparing the room for her and as we retain these little captives against their will, and treat them worse than slaves by keeping them in close confinement, I think we should at least try to amuse them. But you cannot afford to turn one out of the cage in a room where there is anything that can be torn or broken, as they enjoy such mischief in the highest degree. To let her out of her cage and give her something to play with was happiness enough for her, and I almost think she preferred such a life to the freedom of her Amazon forests. She was not selfish in selecting her friends, nor did she seem to be influenced by age or beauty. Her aversions and attachments were equally strong. She would pick every shred, ravelling, or speck from one's clothing. She would clean one's finger-nails with the skill of a manicure. One of her favourite pastimes was to pull the hairpins out of my wife's hair so that she could get hold of it the better to play with, and my wife has often remarked that Nellie would make an excellent lady's-maid. She delighted to pat their cheeks, pull their ears, and tangle their hair. Nellie had spent much of her life in captivity and had been used to the society of children, for whom she showed the greatest fondness, and rarely ever betrayed the slightest aversion to any of them. Affections – A little Flirtation – Some of my personal Friends.
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