The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1868-06-07

SUNDAY, JUNE 7, 1868.
8 AAMArra on CATS.
VIII y wo9, be different
are snere n3S in the world i-but I
fond Of cats. 6ren NAV he i3is,;rsS
upon the ground a. their being spoilt and
noisy, but no such arguments can be urged
against my favorites: the more you pet
them, the tanner, the more content, the
more charming do they grow. AS for d
noise, they don't know how to make it. I
know there is q misunderstanding upon this
point in connection with the nocturnal dis
turbance called caterwaulinG, the explana-
ton of which is as follows. Alt requires a
musical voice to state tie circumstances,
but II hope to make myself intelligible.)
Suppose you very much desired to visit
friend female friend lovely creature
to whom you were paying your addresses:
only an immense wall-which you could
not blow down like the Clerkenwell wall,
because you had mot the Fenian careless
and the beloved object. Well, that is ex-
actly the case with the poor maligned pus-
sizes. Come over the waur" feline for
wall, just as it is Scotch for worse,) "t the
waur, the waur," cries the imprisoned puss:
why don't you come over the waur -
oHAhOoS SRAAO9, SpAhcS, CIAS5S 1OUAS OK.
planning the nature of the obstruction,
whereas we call it swearing" Now, q cat
is incapable of an oath. But the fact is,
there are 80 many false accusations brought
against cats, thatI scarcely know, although
prepared at all points, where to begin my
defense of them. Their foes are legion, be-
ginning with the British boy, and not end
ing with his grandmother. Their friends
are SO cOwed and disheartened by the num-
Der OF assailants, that they are often silent
when 1T behOOves them to put in their good
wond: When saw advertised the other day
the "Book of Cats" by c. II. Ross, my
heart leaped within me, and I cried, 90
sacred news" l thought that Mr.. Ross,
whose sketches have SO much real humor in
them that genteel folks are united in calling
them vulgar, would do this noble subject
Justlce-would give us monograph on cats
that would put them right with the public
at large. The illustrations of the volume
are, of course, excellent, but am far from
satisfied with the literary matter. Half the
book is devoted to the shocking scandals
that have been circulated about cats, and to
repeat them, even for the purpose of reftl-A
ter is headed cot some wicked stories that
have been told about cats, }" and indeed they
are most injurious and scurrilOus. shall not
of course, defile my pages as Mr.. Ross has
done his by quoting any one of them. But
what is worse. he has introduced stories of
lis OWh, WHICH, uO StpDSdT I'D me 10 Oe
altogether in favor of his clients. Perhaps,
being SO fond of joke, he can't resist max
ing one even at the expense of those whose
virtues it is his object to set before an I'M
approaching world; but that's very wrong.
''Do you know why cats always wash them
selves after a meal z" says he. "a cat
caught sparrow, and was about to devour
1T, when the sparrow said No gentleman
eats till he has first washed his face.' The
cat, struck with this remark, set the sparrow
down, and begal to wash his face with his
paw; but the sparrow flew away This
long as live will eat first and wash my
face afterwards Which all cats do even to
this day" Now, do not believe a word of
this story cats are naturally clean, and
wash their faces at all times. also object
to the word "devour." We don't say of any
gentleman that he devours partridges or
even larks. The whole narration of Mr.
Ross exhibits an irreverent spirit. Again,
there is an endeavor in this ill-judged book
to show that a cat is superior to a dog.
90 The dashed hound crawls back and ticks
the boot that kicked him. Pussy will not
do that. Il should rather think not.) If
you want to be friendly (and who does not?)
with a cat on Tuesday, you must not kick
him on Monday. This really human way of
behaving makes pussy unpopular" Yes |
but only with tyrants. l dare say there are
some bigoted persons, who object to cats
because they are not among the animals |
mentioned in the Scriptures. But it is sure
ly not worth while to allude to such people
or their prejudices. I dare say Mr. Ross
means no harm but it is not .judicious to
assist in circulating ridiculous stories about
these charming creatures; such, for in
stance, as is told of the grammatical child,
who had to decline (Which nobody should
wish to do, by-the.bye) Cat, and when he
came to the vocative, said: go Cat ~ in |
spite of being reminded that if, he addressed
the animal he should say " Pussy" And |
again, here is an unseemly jest "During
the process of the late American war, was !
sitting one day in the Office oflAble & Co.'s
wharf-boat at Cairo, Illinois. AT that time
a tax was collected on all goods shipped
South by private parties, and it was neces-
sary that duplicate invoices of shipments