Houma Ceres. [volume] (Houma, Parish of Terrebonne, La.) 1855-18??, 1855-08-16
WRITER FOR THE HouMA cEREs.
The HonOrcd Dead.

The H0MOrc0 DesaO.
IT was happy custom, among those OF
bycone centuries, for the traveller, as he
passed near lonely grave by the way
side. to cast stone upon the last resting
place of the departed wayfarer. as a token
of their regard for the dead. In STROLL
ing around the palmetto limits Of our -four
ishing village, beheld, stiff, cold and
l;eless. the attenuated forms of two de-
funct cats; and as the pristine customs Of
other ages addressed themselves to sad
dened thoughts. l have essayed to erect a
column to their departed merits, and 10
ratify the catalogue Of their concatenated
yirtues-casting brief testimonial Of re-
membrance upon the graves Of these de-
parted worthless. The place that claims
toitself the honor Of having given life
and unimpeded respirationto 10 the Sc worthy
members Of the feline dynasty, deponent
sayeth not; but sstradition so far back that
the memory Of man runneth not to the
contrary" testi6es to the fact that their
great ancestors, simulated by thirst for
empire and renown, emigrated here, to the
great CONSERVATION and infinite terror of
he s,ring.tailed aborigenes-a democrat
rfaternity Of nick tailed rats and shag,
cared mice. But among his virtues, Tom
oden boasted Of his Spanish origin-he
even ventured SO far as to speak of gay
airation with some fair Castillian cat, car
redo by no very distant ancestor, upon
the very caves Of the Alhambra itself, in
the soft and balmy serenity of one Of those
bewitching nights which are only found
beneu'h an Andelusian sky. But how
much this may pa1take Of delectabls fic-
ton OF pleasing romance, deponent sayeth
not But in Thomas Cat was coalesced
alithe fiery magnificence Of the Spaniard,
tne urbanity Of the French, and the cool
calculation Of the English. He awaited
with wonderful equanimity of nerve ior
ne mice to s'turn up" apprehending them
with fiery zeal, he bade farewell and
crammed them, without dissection, down
his ssophagus. Tom was ever mindful oI
MS glorious motto; sit is better that ten
''''ie nice should suffer death than tha,
one o's Norway rat should escape" And
as It is afiectionately remarked over all de.
hrted worthless, sWe ne'er shall see
aslf luxe again. !" How admirably can
70 adopt this language of affection over
'ne'e !'ieless forms, which were once the
embodiment Of every feline virtue. Dig.
'u 10 ms department. he was neve,
resa . amuse himself by that frivolou.
.ao hs'ea.like performance Of circumey.
s as aitsr his own tail, Or idly munchine
.as' sles' But BY many his wisdom wa,
sa'''0me s. said it was only stupidity
.els coatemptibly intimated that his dig
A'! sss hziness, while some Of his ba
aalsners boldly proclaimed him .fi
= aasag;" but these foul aspersions viii
= - With their authors, into an unfath
T a's psofe.adity in the gulf Of oblivion
5" easertained great admiration of hi,
s',' iof ffequeatly csatemplatins hi,
= would gracefally ana poetcally ex
'n, y rs well, that ends well.n tn,
- 'npl.eable enemy u tho 1, nocturaa
,.nonlations :, Of Tom, vas Tows,e. Sc, .
ssalae lineage. Now, thss.id Tow.,
niaien of the moon, and had an
s'ed h'nsslf ,e keep vigil, over 4,
'.' q night With hereditary ,ry malice nj
I ss ''saaea'ly t..ik it into hi. s.p;e,
''sau''' aud make a rery rud