Through the open door I could see that the interior was
even more poverty-stricken than the outside.
As I dismounted, a man came to this door. Are you fond of natural
history, reader; and have you ever amused yourself by instituting
comparisons between certain human beings and certain animals--beasts,
birds, or fishes? I have seen men who resembled horses, owls, hawks,
sheep,--and geese. This one resembled the bird called the penguin. Read
the description of the penguins: "Their feet are placed more
posteriorly than in any other birds, and only afford them support by
resting on the tarsus, which is enlarged, like the sole of the foot of
a quadruped. The wings are very small, and are furnished with rudiments
of feathers only, resembling scales. Their bodies are covered with
oblong feathers, harsh to the touch, and closely applied over each
other. * * * * * Their motions are slow and awkward, and from the form
of their wings, they can not fly."
The individual before me recalled the penguin--except that he was
excessively lean instead of fat. The feet accorded with the above
description; the arms were short, and hung like wings; the coat of the
worthy was a ragged "cut-away," which ended in a point behind, like the
tail of a bird; and the movements of the individual were "slow and
awkward" to a degree which forbade the supposition that, under any
circumstances, he could be induced to fly.
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