Dayton daily empire. [volume] (Dayton [Ohio]) 1850-1865, 1860-06-26

Bas- Mr.. Spunks, a friend Of our, being a
bachelor Of social instincts, cultlvates the most
friendly relations with a cat which makes his
room its ~favorite abiding place. Tom is an
intelligent animal and evidently does his best
to behave like a gentleman and to act with o
sober discretion which shall impress his two-
legged friend with "a lively idea of his general
responsibility and excellence of character. In
this he quite succeeded on their first acquain-
lance, by a demonstration of amiability as ire
mendous as it was unusual and which altogeth-
er won Spunks' affections. Spunks has a
cheerful habit of relieving his loneliness by OPP
Grating on that sweet and enlivening solo in
strument, the trombone, from which he EFFORTS
sounds of the most extraordinary character.
The way in which Tom walked into Mr..
Spunks affections was thus Mr.. Spunks has
often witnessed, with chagrin, the effect OF his
instrument, and one day determined to try 1t
on the cat so he caused Tom to sit down on
the end ofhis body upon a table opposite, and
getting out his trombone struck up an attempt
at a favorite air The cat did not jump out
of his skin or the window, but sat gravely lis
tening and looking on, winking his eyes in the
most intelligent manner c~onceIvablel There
fore Mr.. Spunks loved Tom, for he was the
only living creature besides who could bear the
| SOUNDS OF his IIOulDOuc WtNhOut bCAlB bNohiDt
ded or driven distracted. So, after that
Spunks and Tom got along excellent well to
eether-the latter listening with apparent
qualification to the horrible tones which
Spunks, with diabolical ingenuity, managed tC
worry out of his '%infernal machine of an in
r sTument.
Now, Mr.. Spunks had formerly had taste fol
the violin, but had given it up for awhile, under
the impression thai he could succeed better in
the pursuit of wind music, and quietly repos
ing in its case under the table was his vener
able Cremona. A week ago, yesterday, hi
thought he would take it from its dusty prison
and scrape q little, for old acquaintance sake
/, He took it out and during the process of tun
ing, from the first moment he audibly touched
a string, Tom gave symptoms of feeling great
r uneasiness and tried to escape from the room
, but the doors and windows were closed. Ton
/ became absolutely frantic, darling quickly
about the room and lying down and rolling
, as IL seized Of violent. attack of Asiatic chol
|, era and suffering %tortures in the abdomina
r regions. At the first full, long scrape of tn
{ bow the cat, as il stung with a sudden agony
t gave a wild leap right through the glass of tn
window, breaking the pane, disappeared an
despite Mr.. Spunks search and anxious In
auiry Tom has been seen no more.
Mr.. Spunks says he thinks the cat recognI
, zed the material of which the fiddle string
we're made, and that the sounds drawn fror
il made him feel queamish about the stomacl
; and he forti6es this opinion by saying tina
the sounds OF the trombone were u thousan
! times more powerful (horrible he should hay
Il said) than those of the fiddle, and yet, froI
q the very first tone, displayed no uneasine'
= in hearing them. That intelligent cat wa
y evidently afraid that his friend Spunks nigh
" with unparalleled per6dy, conceive design
upon his vitals for the refuFnishing Of his Rae'
= steal instrument The cat is described as on
of the Maltese kind, very large and well d
u veloped, with a decided taste for fish, and N
= much inclination TO catch rats. Any one r
=, turning Tom TO our friend will be rewards
AZ and receive the thanks Of our friend Spunk