ng I found the same usage, the stockins for
one leg onlie left me. It was time for me then, and my servants too, to
imagine it must be rats that had shard my stockins so inequallie with
me; and this the mistress of the house knew well enough, but would not
tell it me. The roome, which was a low parlour, being well searched with
candles, the top of my great boothose was found at a hole, in which
they had drawne all the rest. I went abroad and ordered the boards to be
raised, to see how the rats had disposed of my moveables. The mistress
sent a servant of her oune to be present at this action, which she knew
concerned her. One board being bot a litle opend, a litle boy of mine
thrust in his hand, and fetchd with him foure and tuentie old peeces of
gold, and one angell. The servant of the house affirmed it appertained
to his mistres. The boy bringing the gold to me, I went immediatlie to
the gentlewomans chamber, and told her, it was probable Lambert haveing
quarterd in that house, as indeed he had, some of his servants might
have hid that gold; and if so, it was lawfullie mine; bot if she could
make it appeare it belongd to her, I should immediatlie give it her. The
poore gentlewoman told me with many teares, that her husband being none
of the frugallest men (and indeed he was a spendthrift), she had hid
that gold without his, knowledge, to make use of it as she had occasion,
especiallie when she lay in; and conjured me, as I lovd the King (for
whom her husband and she had suffered much), not to detaine her gold.
She said, if there was either more or lesse then foure and tuentie whole
peeces, and two halfe ones, it sould be none of hers; and that they were
put by her in a red velvet purse. After I had given her assureance of
her gold, a new search is made, the other angell is found, the velvet
purse all gnawd in bits, as my stockins were, and the gold instantlie
restord to the gentlewoman. I have often heard that the eating or
gnawing of cloths by rats is ominous, and portends some misch

William Babington Maxwell (18661938) was a British novelist. He was a son of novelist Mary Elizabeth Braddon. Though nearly 50 years old at the outbreak of the First World War, he was accepted as a lieutenant in the Royal Fusiliers and served in France until 1917.

Cyrus Townsend Brady (December 20, 1861 January 24, 1920) was a journalist, historian and adventure writer. His most well-known work is Indian Fights and Fighters. He was born in Allegheny, Pennsylvania, and graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy in 1883. He was also a deacon in the Episcopal church. His first wife was Clarissa Guthrie, who died in 1890. His second wife was Mary Barrett.

Rebecca Sophia Clarke (1833-1906), also known as Sophie May, was an American author of childrens fiction. Using her nieces and nephews as inspiration, she wrote realistic stories about children. She wrote 45 books between 1860 and 1903. The most popular being the Little Prudy books. She lived most of her life in her native town of Norridgewock, Maine, where she lived out her life with her sister, who was also a successful author.