Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1868-02-08


yellow and as many as two hundred
gsy-colOred bon-bon papers, with ihrge
al The ends.
We took up our cats in our arms, and
marched into The room. and stood around
the tree. Then the cats high chairs
were brought in, and placed, Two on The
right, and Two on the left, OF the tree
and Tom, and Spil6re, and SPuns' aud
Yellow, were put into lhew.
never would have believed that TWEEN
,y.four cats could be so still they all
looked as grave az if they were watching
for rats.
Miss Esther rang bell, and the maid
brough. in twenty -four small tin pans on
waiter then Miss Jane told US each TO
take phisl of cream of The Tree and
empty it into pan for our cat. This
took long time, for some Of the Phials
hung quite high, and none Of US dared 10
put our ca. down for q minute. Such a
tapping and spalIering as they made
drinking up the cream +! 1t sounded like
rain on window blinds.
Alter This, Miss Esther distributed the
bon. bon papers by handfuls, and told US
10 let The dear cats est all they could
Some OF The papers had nice bits OF roast
veal in them some had toasted cheese,
and some had chicken wing. We did not
get on very well with this part OF The ited'
ing. We tried TO keep the cats in our
laps, and feed them out of our fingers
but they were more accustomed 10 eating
on the floor. or on the ground, and they
would snatch The meat out Of Our hands
in spite OF all we could DO, an1 jump
down with it in their teeth. Then one
cat would see another with a Bit Of meat
which looked nicer than her own, and she
would drop hers, and fly 10 quarreling
and snalching after the other. They all
wanted chicken wings ; after once tasting
Of those, they despIsed the roast veaI,an
even the cheese. and as they were only
few chicken wings, il made trouble.
Belors we got through with this we
were rather tired and the cats, too, had
more than they oughi TO eat, and began
10 get freful, just like children WHO have
been stuffed there must have been ihif-
ty or forty Of the bon bon papers left on
The Tree but Miss Esther said they
would do for their cats breakfasts the
next day. so they would moi be wasted.
Itseemed ungrateful, after the old ladies'
had taken so much pains to amuse US, TO
find any fault with the party ; but we did
begin to feel hungry. and 10 think that
The cats need not have everything. Al
last saw Willie Dickinson torn his back
to The people, and slyly bite moulhiul
of a chicken wing before he gave it to
Iron Gray. This made me hungrier than
ever; and | am ashamed 10 say that /.
TOO, watched my chance. and popped a
biz Of veal into my mouth, when thought
nobody was looking. Fancy my moTIif-
cation when heard Miss Esiher's kind
voice behind me, saying:
Il am afraid our lille friends are get
ting hungry. Their turn will come BY
and BY Oh, wished the floor would
open and swallow me up. have never
been so ashamed since, and | never can
be, If | live hundred years.
All this lime, Tom, and SpiIire, and
Spunk. and Yellow sal up in their high
chairs as grand ss kings on thrones. and
had two little tables before lhen, OF which
they ate. Really they hardly looked like
cats, they were so dignifed and SO large.
If they had only known it though. it was
not very civil Of them 10 be sitting Up in
that way, st their own party, the only
ones who had either chair or table, but
Il was not their fault.
AT last Miss Esther ssid,-'Now We
will give the cats game Of ball, TO wind
up with and she took a red wonled
ball from the tree, and threw il out into
the parlor. Midge sprang after il like
lightning 4; then we all took balls and
threw them DOT, and let all the cats run
after them, and for a few minutes there
was fine jumbls and tumble Of cats and
balls on The floor. Bot as soon as the
eats found out that the balls were not
something more 10 eat. all except The very
young, ones walked of and sat IdowD, just
like grownup men and women, round
the sides Of the room. This was lbe fun.
niesi sight Of all, FOR they all began 10
wash their faces and their paws /; and to
see twenty Gals al once doing ibis is drol-
Ter Than can be imagined. In The middle
Of The floor lay the bright balls. and
Midgs and three other kittens were roll.
ing over and over among Them. We all
laughed till we were so tired we could
not speak, and most OF US had tesrs rolf
ing down our cheeks.
Pretty soon The door-bell rang /; the
nail came into The Parlor and said
Judge Dickinsoa's man has come al
ter Willie's cat"
Then we all laughed harder Ihan ever,
and Willie called oui,-
"Ths, IS no way 10 speak. You should
say, AR. Iron Grsy's carriage ha,
come
Next came oUr Bridgsl after Midge, and
| must say was glad 10 gel rid Of her.
In a few minutes the cats were all gone
then we locked al each other and wonder
ed what We should 90 next. Tom and
Spunk had got down from their chairs
and gone 10 sleep before the FIRE and
Yellow and Spilfre were playing UIih
The bits OF paper which were scattered on
the floor. What with the Son-bon pa
pers, and The torn rulTs, il looked like