The Union and eastern journal. [volume] (Biddeford [Me.]) 1854-1858, 1857-08-14

G Glad to find himself at home, the aniina
began to shakehis tail, and scatter aroun
$ him on the carpet and furniture Shove
Of water not remarkable for liinpidity
: and he began to frisk about joyously
leaving OIL the dresses Of his mistress ant
Louisa very perceptible traces Of ever!
gambol; at last he deposited himself OF
skyble velvet divan between two cush
ions, the trimmings Of which he immcdi
ately began to gnaw by way Of amuse
ment. .. ... --
J, When she returned homo Louisa wa,
foolish enough to relate this scene in I'll,
\ presence of her husband, and express hcl
astonishmcnt that any person can find
:. pleasure in giving himself the company oI
such disagrceable inmate. This obscr.
'lsation was not lost. on Edward, for he
came homo next day with q splendid
Newfoundland dog, answering to the
name Of Tom. .a as
Daring a dinner that Edward gave to
some of his friends, the conversation hap
pened to fall on the instincts and habits
of animals; each Of the guests related his
antipathies and preferences.
"0f all the animals that man has tam
FED for his use or amusement" said Ed
ward when his turn came to give an Opin-
ion, -thc cat is the one most dislike
She is selfish, thievish, and cruel; her
carcsses are not tokens Of affection; they
merely express her wants; no part Of the
kitchen is safe from her dcprcdations.-
When she gets a mouse in her power,
wha cruel sport she finds in giving it the
appearance Of release, that she may have
the pleasure of springing after and seizing
it again, repeating twenty or thirty times
these vicissitudcs Of ffrcedom and captivi-
ty until satiatcd with this fcrocious pleas
ure, she at last terminates the sufferings
of her victim BY crunching its head
Never did the cruelest inquisitor imagine
more horrible torturcs for his victim"
Alter this virulent TRADE OH the part
of her husband, against the feline species,
Louisa could not do less than procure a
cat she chose fine Maltese, and gave it
the name OF Ration.
Like their owners, Tom and Ration did
not i've on the most cordial understand
fng. Louisa ever ready to fly at her IA
vorite's assistance frequently corrected
Tomwith no gentle hand. Edward, in
turn, would lash poor Ration numerically,
all Of which could hardly contribute to
smooth he way for reconciliation.
Among the persons, whom, owing to
family connections Of social position, Ed
ward and Louisa were obliged to receive,
| it happened that Edward was very par
tial to some and felt no little aversion to
Others. To the latter of these two Louisa
always made it point Of duty to be as
agreeable as possible, and to reserve all
her coldncss to the former. 1t unncccs-
sary 10 add that Edward made ample re-
prisals on all those individuals whom
.aaeSfa lihcd or abhorrc,l.
Edward, being Of naturally cheerful
disposition, had an aversion for dark col
ors, and especially for black, which sug-
gcstcd to him the idea Of gloom and
mourning. Louisa was all at once seized
with passion for black; she wore black
dresses, black mantelets, black shawls,
black bonncts, black wells; one would
have thought she had lost all the mem.
ben OF her family. The rejoinder soon
came.
Louisa said hundred times thrt she
would not change her delightful house for
palace. Edward suddenly felt the
most insurmountable disgust for this too
bustling street. Anxious to install him
self in retreat less splendid and more in
harmony, as pretended, with the tenden-
cies lately exhibited in his wifc's toilet,
he gave notice to leave, and would not
wait till quarter day, before he removed
to'a dwelling on which the sun never
shonc, in dismal old street.
Music was even powerlcss to restore
harmony. Yet Edward and Louisa were
both endowed with good musical taste.
Louisa played well on the piano, Edward
on the flute. But as an inevitable consc-
quence of their present mental condition,
and to the great displeasure Of every del
icate car in the neighborhood, scarcely
had the lady begun playing piece in G,
when the gentlemen would seem to have
passion for pieces in a; and if the
gentleman took a fancy to the mclanchol-
" movement Of an Adagio, the lady
would Immediately strike up with astound-
ing impetuosity one of the liveliest polkas
in her repertory.
They had lived in this state about a
month, returning epigram for epigram,
annoyance by annoyance, with such en-
ulation that the most Insignificant skirmish
threatened to assume the Importance of a
regular battle, and the smallest cloud
seemed pregnant with a tempest. The
cup was full; only the proverbial drop Of
water Mas wanted to make 1t run over
It very soon came.
One morning, Edward, just as he was
leaving home for his office, saw Ration
spread out at his ease on the papers he
was going to take with him. Tom might
have taken this liberty with impunity;
but for Ration it was act Of irrevcrence
that could not be too severely puni shed.
The prcsnlnp,uous eat vigorously grasped
by the neck, travcrcd the whole length
of the room in curve, the end Of which
was tangent to handsome vase Of Drcs-
den porcelain standing on the mantle.
piece. This was present Louisa had
received on birthday; and she priced
it all the more as it came from her ia
vorite school friend. Attracted by the
crash, she at once saw that the real cul-
prit must be her husband whose wrath
was redoubled by this accident.
"You have taught me, sir, to be aston
ished at nothing" said she, picking up
the fragments.
"Well, madam, you must lay the blame
i IN thot VIo..,,,. oot ,,k;cb oa II fo,uI h;v,