Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1873-05-07
Pussy Malta and Grizzly Tom.
BY LYDIA MARIA CHILD.

More than thirty years ago, when
was boarding with the family of Friend
Joseph Carpenter, Quaker farmer in
New Rochelle. n. Y, I witnessed a
scene IN animal life which touched my
feelings deeply, and by it's singularity
impressed itself indelibly on my mem
DRY. There were two cats In the
family. One was slender, genteelly-
shaped Maltese, very active in her
temperament, and exceedingly nimble
in her motions. 1t was pretty sight
to see her gamboling with her kittens,
or leaping up in the air to snap at a
passing fly. On such occasions [ often
used to wish that her portrait could be
take8 by the famous Swiss artist, whose
wonderful natural feline pictures gain
ed for hira the name of "The Cat
Raphael" 17
The other cat was old and infirm.
He was called "Grizziy Tom," on ac-
count of the color Of his fur. Whether
rheumatic pains and aches made him
irritable, or whether he was vexed be-
cause he Gould no longer run about to
visit the pretty Dinahs in the neigh
bofhood, L know not; but fe4 some rea-
son or other he was Ghe cfossest beast
that one sees in a lifetime. His Ill
temper was perfectly manifested to-
ward the kittens; of which Pussy
Malta had several brooas year. Woe
to them, if while chasing their own
tails they tumbled on him as he lay
stretched out IN the sunshine. All
agreed that Grizzly Tom was nlaiL
hr1f ha IN,
from kittenhood, and they had not the
heart 10 order his execution. So he
lived on, splitting and growing, claw
ing and scratching, whenever he was
not asleep. He and Pussy Malta did
not come to blows, for she was too
busy to attend to fighting; but she
never sought his company, and while
they were tapping milk from the same
little trough, she would keep one eye
on the lookout, to see what he was like
ly to do next. --''..,.-... -..-.-.- -.-r..aH JOS
One day Pussy Malta came in from
the barn very much swollen, and
uttering the. most piteous cries.
Whether she had been kicked by
the horses, Or had eaten some
thing poisonous, We never knew;
Ouo utI SuueIIuSS NSiS uuOSt
painful to witness. Notwithstanding
the application of warm bath, and
blankets, the swelling continued to in
crease, and her limbs twitched con-
yulsively. Grizzly Tom, who vas
sleeping on the stoop, was aroused by
her first cry of anguish, and came look
ing in at the kitchen door to see what
was the matter. [ never saw any dumb
creature express sympathy so humanity
as he did. He walked slowly round
and round Pussy Malta, looking at her
wistfully, and now and then laying his
paw gently on her fur, as if he wanted
to say, "wish could help thee" But
nothing availed to save poor Pussy, or
even to alleviate her sufferings. In less
than an hour she was lifeless Her
hunting days were over, and she would
never again frisk with her kittens.
She lett three little orphans, SO young
that their eyes were not yet opened.
When their mother breathed her last,
they lay curled up together in little
fur heap, on bit of carpet III q corner
of the stoop, all unconscious of their
loss. Grizzly Tom had watched all that
was done for Pussy Malta, ever and
anon. touching her gently with his paw.
When she lay stretched out cold and
stiff, he looked at her minute, and
licked her fur Then he walked of
to the stoop, and lay down by the blind
kittens, putting his paw over them pro.
tectingly. From that moment he new
er deserted them, till they were old
enough to take care of themselves
and though they often leased him by
pulling his fur or playing with his tail
when he wanted to sleep, he never
struck them blow. But the strangesi
part of the whole was that he really
nourished them from his own body.
They were too young to be fed, and did
not know how to lap milk till some
time after, yet they thriyed under theil
foster fathers care, and became as
strong and lively as if their mother had
reared them. ~--
This incident excited a good deal
attention in the neighborhood, al
doubt not others remember it as :
as [ do.