Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1871-06-22
Cats.
ny T.. 3. URBINO.

around the bright fire, one cold De-
cember evening.
"HilIo! See Adolph's shadow on the
wall, one might take him for a giant.
/ say, let's talk about shadows said
Thomas
"No, no." said all the boys, ave had
enough of ghosts the other evening.
But shadow is no ghost" inter
rupted Thomas.
s'They seem akin, anyhow" said
Louis" Just then the old cat, which
had been living quietly on the hearth
rug in front of the fire, rose and rubbed
herself against, Adolph's legs, looking
mp into his face with a peculiar mlen.
"Well, well, Tabby, you wish to bring
yourself into notice, | see, said the
boy The cat is our subject for this
evening"
Good cried the other boys
"Apropos Of this cat" observed
Adolph, "shc is made so much of, that
she is really quite parsonage; you
would have laughed to see her maumu-
vres when Uncle Tom was here with his
violin. She gave him quite stroke
with her paw as soon a. he began to
play, aud when she found that did not
stop him, she gave him u nip with her
tee "a kind of pinch, to make him
feel that she did not like his music
after which she walked out OF the room
with offended dignity"
q" Oh, there's no end 10 cat stories,
grumbed Thomas, Il hate cats, they
are so false and treacherous."
81 think You wrong them" said
George; ''the more | study THEN char
act the better / like them. We had
cat that followed mother
about like dog; every morn
ing it got upon her bed, purred,
Tapped her hands, and made every
demonstration Of affection. As to cats
being false, | believe the false are the
exceptional ones, when they are kindly
treated and we'll cared for, | mean.
False dog, applied to man, and
false cat, to woman, ls an old say
ing, and perhaps the circumstances
which operate to make man false
might have the same effect upon an
animal.
Domestic cats are well enough in
their way remarked Louis, "but
when we think of their progenitor, the
horrid wild cat y
THAT is disputed point inter
rupted Adolph, " inasmuch as the wild
cat (cat,ts ferns) was widely ditfused
over the north of Europe, at a time
when the domestic cat c0tas doaaesti-
cus) was highly priced and protected
by law Besides, there is great diff
ference between them. The wild cat is
much larger and stronger; its head and
body is shorter and thicker; its tail,
which is much stronger, is of the same
thickness from root to end, while that
of the domestic cat is longer and tapers
of gradually"
Although | do not like the charac-
ter of the eat, said Thomas, II do
think that their extreme neatness,
graceful movements, suppleness and
agility deserve our commendatlon
Il look upon the cat, added Ben
iamin, las miniature lion, How
perfect in all its parts Look at its
POLITICALLY shaped forehead--dont
Taught, dear fellows--have you ever
seen the bare skull of a cat If you
have not, allow me to say that you can
not Judge correctly of It's perfection
but Adolph referred to laws for the
protection of the cat, how, and when
was thatl"
about the middle of the tenth
century, replied Adolph, before
which the domestic cat was UNI
known
"Where did it come from" asked
Thomas.
1T is supposed that it came from
Egypt, on account of its being con-
nected with the early history OF that
country. But of the laws" he con-
tinued; "persons were severely pun
ished for mishandling, mutilating or
killing a cat The price of said animal
was regulated by law, and was doubled
from the time 1t began to catch nice.
The purchaser required that the cat be
a good mouser and that her eyes, ears
and claws be perfect; and he had y
right to demand that one-third OF his
purchase money be returned to him, If
the cat was found wanting. Whoever
stole cat from, or killed a cat in a
royal storehouse, must either give n
sheep and lamb to pay for 1t, or as
much gram as would cover it when
hung up by the tail, With It's nose
touching the ground. .
Whew!' said Thomas, "didn' t
thew set a value on cats Why | don't
remember to have read anything about
eats in our school books, have IT,
The boys laughed at Thomas
earnestness, and George said The
ancient Greeks and Romans say moth
ING about eats before the time of
Heredotus, 50 we have right to think
they had no knowledge OF them
Il wonder ii they used to have Is
many rats and mice as we do, SAID