our novel, "cats are animals for whom I entertain a very great respect. Cats and Nonconformi

e her doing it; and how prompt, if detected, to pretend that she was not doing it-that she was not even thinking of doing it

ce favouring the weak, directed her attention to myself, and she became, for the first time, aware of my presence. It acted upon her as a heavenly vision upon a Biblical criminal. In an instant she was a changed being. The wicked beast, going about seeking whom it might devour, had vanished. In its place sat a long-tailed, furr

elf a living creature less eager to attract attention? 'Dear me,' you can all but hear it saying to itself, 'I'd no idea it was

hat's he doing there,' it says, 'and close to our door too? I can't go in while he's hanging ab

ner from time to time. The policeman, however, seems to have taken up his

ndignantly; 'is he dead? Why don't he move on, h

in an agony of alarm. 'Great Scott, hark at that! Why, everybody wi

n't mind if I didn't look so dirty and untidy,' he mu

e's nothing else for it, I must put my trust in Pro

evident he wishes to convey the idea that he has been out all night on work connected with the Vig

he hears the cook's step on the stairs. When she enters the kitchen he is curled up on the hearthrug, fast

y. 'Heigh-ho! I've had such a lovely sleep, cook

they are Christians in everyth

the marvellous ability they display in taking care of 'number one' is worthy of the human race itself. Some friends of mine had a cat, a big black Tom: they have got half

bourhood, under the charge of an elderly spinst

ngs have you got?' a

pretty

e peo

enough-as

after you well, and a

've no fault to

the victu

ones and scraps, and a bit of dog-

uits! Do you mean to

et 'em. Why, what's

biscuits! Don't you ever get any spring

hat are you talking abo

emen friends a little older than herself 'dear child'), these people of yours are treating you

e fl

skim milk and water

s a bi

. You must leave these p

re am I t

ywhe

o'll tak

pig-sty. There were three of us, mother and I and my little brother. Mother would leave us every evening, returning generally just as it was getting light. One morning she did not c

ield. She was crawling very slowly, with her body close down against the ground. We

ran to her, for we were almost starving. We lay lon

, but that only made me colder still, and she was wet and clammy with a dark moisture that

struggle at first, two babies fighting for life; but we pulled through. At the end of about three months, wandering farther from home than usual, I came upon a cottage, standing in the fields. It looked warm and cosy through the open door,

catch sight of a room behind a shop. There was a carpet on the floor, and a rug before the fire. I had never kn

' asked the black cat, w

the cat that has cheek sleeps on a velvet cushion and dines on cream and horseflesh. I marched straight in and rubbed myself against the old man's legs. He and his wife were quite taken with what they called my "trustfulness," and adopted me with enthusiasm. Strolling

od, and who possessed a really excellent cook. I think I could have been very satisfied with these people, but, unfortunately, they came

rich, but nobody liked him. He was shaped differently from other men. I turned the matter over in my mind for a day or tw

t she has other ties, while "Toady" had nothing else to love, not even himself. He could hardly believe his eyes at first when I jumped up on his knees and rubbed myself against his u

me to come up and lie upon the bed, where he could stroke me with his long, thin hand, and at first I used to do this. But a sick man is not the best of

e easier when I was there. I succeeded at length, however, and, once outside the door, I put sufficient distance between mysel

baby. Whatever you do, never stop at a house where they keep a baby. If a child pulls your tail or ties a paper bag round your head, you can give it one for itself and nobody blames you. "Well, serve you right," they say to the yelling brat, "you shouldn'

han a joke by the bishop) there was an atmosphere of solid respectability that I felt would be comforting to my nature. My dear child, you will come across cynics who will sneer at respectability: don't you listen to them. Respectability is its own reward-and a very real and practical reward. It may not bring you dainty dishes and soft beds, but it brings you something

appened at the bank which necessitated the banker's taking a sudden journey to Spain, and, after that, the house became a somewhat unpleasant place to l

ves could not stand it. I said good-bye to the town, and maki

tion, and I like every one about me to love me. They were good enough to me in their distant way, but they did not ta

. Such egotistical indifference to the claims of friendship I had never before met with. It shook my faith-never too robust-in human nature. I determined that, in future, no one should have the opportunity of disappointing my trust in them. I selected my present mistress on the recommendation of a gentleman friend of mine who had formerly lived with her. He said she was an excellent caterer. The only reason he had left her was that she expected him to be in at ten each night, and that hour didn't fit in with

noticed, quicker than confidence. They don't get much of it, and it pleases them. Always be confiding. At the same time be prepared for emergencies. If you are still doubtful as to your reception, try and get yourself slightly wet. Why people should prefer a wet cat to a dry one I have never been able to understand; but that a wet

rainy day, he went out soon after lunch and sat for four hours in an open field. In the evening, soaked to the skin, and feeling pretty hungry, he went mewing to their door.

y cat, mum,'

out,' said

n't,' said

, it's wet,' sai

's hungry,'

ered the master, who wrote for the new

t greedily, and afterwards rubbed himself g

, likewise of his trousers. 'Oh, well

made comfortable

made the place home. The shadows of suspicion gathered round the case. The cat's disappearance, at first regarded as a mystery, began to assume the shape of a crime. The wife openly accused the husband of never having liked the an

him, he had not had a single fight for two whole days. Had any recent t

mbulator. He himself had forgotten the incident, but Justice, though tardy, was on his track. The misdeed was suddenly remembered at the very moment when unavailing

lesh and blood, or a spirit come to comfort them. After watching him eat half a pound of raw steak, they decided he was material, and caught him up and hugged him to their bosoms.

as to play the two families off one against the other; which he did. He spent an alternate fortnight with each, and lived like a fighting cock. His return was always

of having lured him away. The newspaper man retorted that the poor creature had come to his door wet and starving, and added that he would be ashamed

I asked him if he would like to hear any more, and as he offered no active oppos

he water-butt, took to drink in her old age, and was run over while in a state of intoxication (oh, the justice of it! ) by a brewer's dray. I have read in temperance tracts that no dumb animal will

he cat, coming in thirsty, and finding nothing else to drink, lapped up a little, liked it, and lapped a little more, went

s ever once quite sober. Her days she passed in a drunken stupor

cat, thus condemned to enforced abstinence, meandered about the house for a day and a half in a d

very day. Some time during the morning she would contrive to elude our vigilance and escape; and late every evening

st have been very drunk, for the man told us that, in consequence of the darkness, and t

t conduct had alienated her affection. We children buried it in the garden under the mulberry tree, but the old lady in

member her when she hadn't a family in one stage or another. She was not very particular what sort of a family it was. If she could not have kittens, then she would conte

She thought everything young was a kitten. We once mixed up a spaniel puppy that had lost its own mother among her progeny. I shall never forget her ast

nice comfort to any one's old age, you are, making a row like that. And look at

tail still, but his success was not commensurate with his will. I do not know which was the sadder to ref

e make out how she had come to overlook him. He soon became her prime favourite. She liked his colour, and took a mother's pride in his tail. What troubled her was that it would cock up over his head. She w

o see her, and the squirrel was c

kitten, who was sitting up on his haunches combing his whiskers, and say

olour," exclaime

s legs much," re

're right there. His legs are his weak point.

ut later on," suggest

cheerfulness. "Oh yes, they'll come all right in time. And then look a

ented the other; "but why do

hat way. I can't make it out. I suppose

ard if it don't,

"I must lick it more. It's a tail that want

ted her paw off it, and it flew back again like a steel spring over the squirrel's head, she sat and gazed at

to say-"what have I done that t

on my completion of t

ave been the possessors of some v

family has been singular

ut one man from whom I have heard more wonderful cat

ithout a touch of jealousy i

. "I met him on a Hampstead tram, and we

h a cute thing as a man, in a dog's opinion; and he takes good care that everybody knows it. Naturally enough, we says a dog is the most intellectual animal there is. Now a cat, she's got her own opinion about human beings. She don't say much, but you can tell enough to make you anxious not to hear the whole of it. The consequence is, we says a cat's got no intelligence. That's where we let our prejudice steer our judgment wrong. In a matter of plain common sense, there ain't a ca

d man," they've said, "we like to hear you: the more the merrier." Then what have you done? Why, you've snatched up a hair-brush, or a boot, or a candlestick, and made as if you'd throw it at them. They've seen your attitude, they've seen the thing in your hand, but they ain't moved a point. They knew as you weren't going to chuck valuable prop

orld, why dogs are babies to 'em. Have you e

anecdotal recitals of mine, but that, hitherto, I h

iment. If you're telling a story before a cat, and she don't get uneasy during any part of the narrative, you

g that would make a cat squirm out of its skin, and that dog's taken 'em in and believed 'em. One night, up at his old woman's, Bill told us a yarn by the side of which salt junk two voyages old would pass for spring chicken. I watched the dog, to see how he would take it. He listened to it from beginning to end wit

im to encourage him, and when he had finished I said to him, "

' said

' I says. I didn't tell him I wa

ill, 'you remind me.' He

have we got here, a missionary?" I signalled to her to keep quiet, and Bill went on with his yarn. When he got to the part about the sharks, she turned deliberately round and looked at him. I tell you there was an expression of disgust on that cat's face as might have made a travelling Cheap Jack feel ashamed of himself. It w

herself like. I never saw a cat more set on controlling its feelings, or

-boy dives in head foremost, and fetches up, undigested, the gold watch and chain as the bo'sun was a-wearing whe

she rallied after a bit, and it seemed as though

emen," she said-leastways that is what she said if looks go for anything-"maybe you're used to this sort of rubbish, and it don't get on your nerves. With me

o the door, and I opened it

cat with talk same