Tama County Republican. (Toledo, Tama County, Iowa) 1867-1872, 1867-04-12
THE BLACK CAT.
A Most Horrible Story.
BIT THE LATE EDGAR A. POE.

expect it, in case where my very senses G
ject their own evidence. Yet, mad am NOT :
and very surely do not dream. Bui TO NOR
row die, and to-day would unbuiihcn IN,
sonl. My immediate purpose is TO place he
fne the worLl, plainly. sncc nelly and with
ut comment, sereies of mere loushold event,
aat have terrified. have tortured have d..
-toycd me. Yet will not attempt to ex
pound them. To me. they have presented lit
tie but Horlor-to many they will seem less
te rible than (har,oqnes.l Hereafter pe,haI S
ome intellect may be found which will re
,luce my rhantasm to The common place some
intellect more calm. more logical and far les,
excitable than my own. which will perceive
in the circumstances detail with awe. moth.
ing mo than an ordinary succession Of We, y
natural causes and effects.
From my infancy was noted Tor the docli'y
and humani,y Of my disposition. My tender.
ness of Lea,t was even SO conspicuous as to
make me The jes, Of my companions. l VAS
especially fond o: animals, and was INDUCED
in =. my parent. with great variei, Of pets
I" i.h these spent Tie mos, of III, time and
never was 80 Laipy as when feeding and cars
,ssing them. Inls pecullarity Of character
grew with my owth, and, III my manhood,
| de lvei from il one OF NY principal sources
OF pleasure. To those who cherished an at.
feet on for y faithful aud sa gaciou~ dog, need
be ha,dly at the troable Of explaining the ma
IA Of tie Intensity OF lie aitcation thus
derivabe. Thet il something in TIE uuselisl,
anl sell sacrificing love Of a brute which goes
directly 10 the heart OF him who has had f G.
qien' occass on to tes, the paltry friendship
| and gossamer of mere Nan.
was married carly, and was happy TO find
in my wife n disposition not uucongen al
with my own. Observing my rnstiality for
domestic pets, she lost no opportunity of pro-
| curing those Of the most a.,c ceablc kind. We
small monkey and eat.
This latter was remarkably large and
beautiful animal, entirely black and sagacious
TO an astonishing degree In speaking of it's
intelligence, my wife, who at heart was not a
little tinctured with superstition, made fire.
9uent alluscn TO the aMcien, popular norton,
which regarded all black eats as witches in
disguise. Not that she was ever serious upon
this loint--and | mention tie matter at all
for no better reason than that it happens just
now 10 be remembered
Pluto-this was the cat namc--was my ia
vorte pet aud playmate. lalone fed h m and
he attended NE where yer | went about the
house. |, was even with difficulty that could
prevent him flom following me through the
streets.
Our friendship lasted in this manner, for
severa. years, during which my general tenn
peramcnt and chalacter--thro.gh The ins,ru-
mentality Of The Fend lntempe, anec--l had II
t,ra,ion for the worse grew, day 10y day,
more moody irritable, more regai dlcss Of the
cling of others. | suffered myself use in
temperate language TO my wife. At length |
even offered her personal violence. My pets
Of course wer. made 10 feel the change in my
disposition. | not only neglected, but i'll used
them. For Pluto, however, l still retained
sufficient regard TO restrain me # ON maltrea,-
ing him, as made no scruple Of maltreating
the rabbits the monkey. or even The dog, when
by accident or through atfec on. they came in
my WY. But my disease grew upon me
for what disease is like Alcohol and at
length even Pluto. who was now becoming
old, and consequently somewhat peevish-
even Pluto began o expcr.en the effects Of
my i'll temper.
One night returning home much intoxicated.
fom one of my haunts about town. tancied
that the ca, avoided my presence. seized
him. where, in his fright At my violence he
inflicted Il slight wound upon my hand with
his teeth The fury Of demon instantly
possessed me. KNEW myself no longer. My
original soul seemed at once, to take lis flight
from my body, aud more than fiendish male
violence, gin nu'tnrcd, thrilled every fibre of
my frame. | TO k from my waist coat pocket
pen knife, opened it, grasped the poor beast
by the 'hroa, anil deliberately cut one Of its
eyes from 'hc socket I blush hurn. 1 shud-
der, while pen the damnable atrocity
When reason returned with the morning
when had slept of the fumes Of the nights
debauch-l experienced sentiment half Of
horror, half OF remorsc, for the crimes Of
which had been guilty; bu, it was, at best,
q feeble and eqnivocal feeling, and the soul
remained untouched. l agniL plunged into
excess, and soon drowned in wine all memory
Of the deed. :.
In the meantime the cat slowly recovcred-
The socket Of the lost eye presented, ii is true,
. frightful appearance, but he no longer ap>
peased TO suffer any pain. Hswcnt about the
house ns usual, but, as might be expected. fled
in extreme terror at my approach. | had so
much Of my old hear; left. rs to be At first
gri we'd by this evident dislike on the part of
, creature which had 90 loved ms. But this
feeling soon gave place to irritation. and then
game, as II TO my final and IRE vocable over.
throw, the spirit Of Isruerseness. OF this
lpiri' philosophy takes no account. YctIam
not snrer that my soul lives than I am that
perverseness is one Of the primitive impulses
of the human heart and of the indiv;s;h,a
primary faculties, or sentiments, which rive
direction to the character Of man. Who has
not, hundred times, founl himself commit.
ing v'lc or silly action, for no other rea.
nn thNs Ln -