Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1873-02-01
The GUARDIAN CAT.

have grown tired of photography, partly be-
cause my fingers were continually black, partly
because Pe"plewho meant to praise me always
said that nv results were very good for the work
of an amateur; but some years ago WAS wild
about it. My mania was to photograph bits of
scenery and ruins which had never been focus
ca before; and in seeking to indulge 1t, was
Perpetuaiiy getting away into corners. The cor
neresf corner i ever explored in these rambles
Was IN the west of England. The widest parts
~ Scot and, Ireland and Wales have a tourist
talht about them, Shiny touts and ciceroni have
cTaw'ed over their surface with snail-Iike per-
severance and stoiidty and left traces. But no
one has ever written a hand book of Dow,l: no
one would buy 1t il he did Dowd has no seen
cry In particular, no wat rfall, no antiquities of
hiSoricai or philosophical interest. There was
sruhh Cdeed; but commonplace impecuniOsi-
not roma mite war nor mysterious haunting
mad caused its decay, ard, what was more a
Is.ow nved In ltZfnot smuggler nor coiner,
should not have found that out, IL il had not
peen foT thunderstorm. L was hard at work
near Dowd West Front, aR1in near Dowd'
supposed remains OF Keep" Sc.-when the sky
became 50 back that you would have Thought
va gong a 70 ram INK, and the first electric
ing OF farm, few laborers' cottages, forge
AND small beer-shOp not licensed to sell spi-
ritsy was quite four miles OFF. / had my khan
sack, ami some bread and cheese with me; so il
was perfectly Indifferent where passed the day
or the night. so long as / got shelter. Part Of
the root seemed ~ be In good enough repair;
- struck my cam IA and little tent at once,
snd com M need an exploration of the interior
IS the hr>t drops commenced to make their half
Crown-SizHt sp'ashfs. After penetrating the
dIlapt,iated outer walls. I ought to have seen
that the k rnel of the place was in a more haI,-
table condition; for there had been an attempt
AT cuitivaiing vegetables in an inner garden
ami The framework of certain windows Wa
glazed But was 80 eager to get INV appar-
stNs unaeT shelter before the rain came on in
earnest thlt noticed nothing of this: and so
II happened that blundered into a furnished
apartment; Not that the furniture extern
I've, egt there was enough to swear by; a deal
table, three cherry wood chairs. and q portrait
Oh gentleman IN oils, about tOtaled it, A man
was sitting at the deal-tsble when I entered
He jumped mp at the intrusion: and I saw that
he was tail. yO1ns. thin and dressed in a suit
% sht rhtfd's plaid, considerably the worse for
81 beg your pardon" stammered T. 81 -an
IN out OF the thunderstorm, not knowing that
the hoI>e was inhabited
q You Thought that a bat. or. at least an owl
would te tie only tenant Of 80 tumble-slown a
Place. me said, smiling somewhat bitterly nj
INV questionable apology; ..but come in have
nothing besides shelter TO offer YOU, fear; but
10 That Won are welcome
A Thousand thanks,'' said I. IL wouId moi
lntrude on YOU, if il were not that 1 have been
taxing some large photographs, and do not
wish them to be spoiled. Not that 7 am sorry
TO keep my skin out OF such deluge as this"
For the storm had now burst with great fury.
iashe, OF lightning averaged about three TO tile
minute the thunder was rather a succession of
explosions than the normal roll; and the rain
came down "a IL all the gargovles of EurOpe
we're having an international spouting match
overhead.
ldepOsited nv traps in corner and immedi-
stely became aware of a third parsonage hith-
efto unnotieed. This was a very large black
ear, which emerged from under the table and
stretched himself, and, without taking the
slightest notice OF myself proceeded to examine
ny g9age win great interest. DO not tell m
that he had no reason The way he peereC about
gently hitting up cloths, and letting them down
again, alone proved the contrary. That he per-
fectly mastered the of the camera am not
prepared to avow; but he satisfied himself that
there was no great mischief to be apprehendeti:
ior presently he came to his masters side gave
I'm run on tne knee and then began to groom
Poor old Dabblel' said his master scratch
ing his head with forennger; and the animal,
instead OF Purring like another cat, gave lit
lie murmured s'Yow, vow !''-as evident an at
..DaLble- Polite tor diable?" inquired
Yes; ne L my familiar, and. with one excep-
uon, my only friend and companion. Are you
.sNow. VOW"
sis he old?''
VERY. Fifteen years, 7 should saw"
90 not mink am very curious about other
Ieopiet private affairs, as a general rule; but
certainly confess % having felt that impertinent
passion in the present instance Who was this
young man, whose manners phraseology, aud
accent sn,s eesPose him an educated gentleman?
And why did he live in a ruin alone with black
cat double the size and intelligence of other
black cats? Well, he didn't, quite. There was
witch connected with the establishment; and
presently she came in. Her hooked nose, curv-
have chm hs1 and general sppsasancs might fairly
collateral evidence; but she carried her broom
IN her hand. and the black cat ran to her. rub
bed against her old legs, sat up, and plunged
his claws again and again into her dress with
ecstatic grasps- Dsmnatory signs against the
whole family: "TOrtures for three the order
peremptofily demanded by the fitness of things
pr. Leole. Yet she was a poor, degenerate,
harmless witch; perhaps a lapsed witch. who
had been baptized; for she was afraid of the
thunder, and shook like screw-steamer in a
gale whenever fresh clap came. She had
Aken refuge IN vault which was once a cellar,
ana had been flooded out. The sight of me
frightened her almost rs much as the thunder
and the water.
''we are not used to visitors, !. said the youne
man, with smile Of explanation. .sThis gen,
tieman has come in for shelter Molly. Have we
anythlns to otfer him besides dry bread and
''DabbIe brought in a rabbit early this MORN
ing, Master waiter" mumbled the old woman.
.Good Dabble :" and he Patted the cats head.
well. cook the rabbit for us please Molyv
There we're some smOldering wood-embers on
the large hearth, which the old woman raked
together. and blew up into a flame; and then
adding fresh fuel, she disappeared to skin the
Dabble-captured bunny, which was in due time
solIed and set before Us. Our table-cloth,
Ihoogh very coarse, was clean; and the same
might be said Of the iron forks. added the
bread ard cheese from my knapsack to the
tosln n on, s,3ek. host took the head Of his
Dabbie stood at his side on his hind-legs with
his foIe-PSws and black head appearing over
received a
norsei, when he went down and dispatched IL
ON the noor, reappe airing when IL was finished
IL his master proved diiatory, he put out a paw
sideways, and dabbed his arm at the same time
uttering a plaintive meaow. When we three
had finished our meal, we left the tsble; aud
the harmless witch sat down, and had her din
ner before cleaning away. OF course i had
been abstemious: One rabbit amongst four is
not gorge; try IL.
i have gone into these details Of my first
meeting with Walter Musgrave in his ruin, be-
caass they made great impression upon me.
! snorid not have been surprised TO find poor
but proud don placed In corresponding posi-
ION IN e me corner Of Spain; or even In ireland
ne situatIon would not have seemed abnormal.
but that an English gentleman. 80 reduced, and
having good health, should not have emiarated,
or enii>to, or driven n cab, supposng no one
would give him f90 year as q clerk was an
nninteihS,eis mnddie to me. But an impatient
reader vii decline 70 take any interest IN such
reflections; 50 i win simply state without ex-
PLANTATION. III At my host and grew very friendly
before We parted that night, that I walked over
from Dowd again next day, and persuaded him
10 go back with me, and eat return dinner;
that became very intimate with him. and pro-
longed my stay in the neighb0rhood in eonse-
quence; and that he told me his history.
liz was story Of q lawsuit. For three genera
tons the Mus9raves had been throwing away
1T ~ If - - A