To him it was revealed in a vision that he would share in Heaven the glory of the Pope, at which he marvelled a lot; partly due to his unworthiness, and partly as a result of-proudly owning nothing on the earth but a female cat-he had hoped, in moments of spiritual exaltation, that some especial reward would be meted out to his rigorous self-denial. It is to be hoped the ten dollars were promptly paid; but one fears that a cat of such cupidity could be able to killing her innocent offspring for the sake of the promised reward. The matter was mentioned within the presence of June, who lay on the sofa, apparently asleep; and her mistress noticed with asperity,-“I would give ten dollars this minute if these kittens had been out from below the flooring.” Immediately the cat jumped down and left the room, the door being shut after her. One winter day these crumbs had been rapidly coated over by falling snow; whereupon the astute highwayman was seen to put them naked once more, brushing away the gentle snow together with his paws, lest, from lack of decoy, he should lose his prey. Stories of virtuous cats who can’t be tempted to dishonesty; of faithful cats who watch over kids confided to their care; of affectionate cats who reside on phrases of candy serenity with birds, and puppies, and guinea pigs, and white mice, would appear to show-could we however credit them-that, of all 4-footed prigs.
Nest culls and discarded adults, or components of identical, make good trapping baits for flesh-consuming animals. As for the astounding situations of feline generosity which we are each day requested to consider, they’d lead us to suppose that cats dwell solely to do good. Gautier’s little Bohemian, who shared his dinner occasionally with disreputable pals out of pure love for low company, shines but dimly by comparability with the small Saint Elizabeths, who apparently haven’t any use for their dinners save to provide them to all the poor and starving cats within the neighbourhood. It’s nice to listen to the sort-hearted Quakeress say “poor little mouse;” for the unconcern with which most of us view the loss of life agony of a mouse contrasts strangely with our sentimental outpourings over a murdered fowl. Only the cat’s impartial thoughts draws no distinction between mouse and fowl. There was mourning and lamentation in lots of a house; and the “Cat’s Coronach” might need been chanted at night time within the deserted yards, and on lonely walls, no. longer guarded by resolute and valiant Toms. There was a flash of pursuit, a faint thin shriek, a lifeless squirrel mendacity limp and blood-stained on the carpet.
In a few minutes she was heard mewing in the corridor; and, when the door was opened, there on the flooring lay three of the dead kittens. Cherished pussies have been discovered useless on doorsteps, within the streets, by the kitchen fires,-and none knew whereof they died. M. Champfleury, who effectively knew on what slender foundations such fairly tales are built. I knew a big black Baltimore puss who used to drive both family and guests like sheep from chair to chair, by leaping up behind each unlucky in flip, and curling his huge bulk in that slender area. A country cat of my acquaintance was much disturbed and excited by the introduction of a tame chipmunk into the household where previously she had reigned supreme. So as a substitute, I fought him and ran out of the lounge after which stayed trembling and far too frightened to return. A Scotch gentleman assures me that his cat was within the behavior of hiding within the shrubbery, and leaping out upon the poor little sparrows, that came each morning to breakfast on the crumbs thrown them from the dining-room window.