American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1874-05-09
Tassy's Mistake.

| FRANK is Connecticut farmers son,
twelve years old, and he owns a dog and
cat. The dogs name is Halifax and the
cats name is Tassy.
Halifax has two peculiarities: first-he
becomes drowsy after frolic, and drops
| down and takes nap, no matter where
he happens to be; second-while he lies
asleep the tip of his shaggy tail keeps
| moving.
| One day in haying time Frank and his
| dog had been romping together on the
| new-mown hay in the meadow, when one
of Halifax's drowsy fits came on, and
down he lay and was soon fast asleep.
| Frank playfully covered him up with
| hay and went off to the barn, leaving him
completely concealed except that wig
Cling bit of tail. Now Tassv is a great
mouser, and improves her time daily, as
good cat should, hunting far and near for
game. Hardly had Frank disappeared,
leaving Halifax asleep, when Tassy made
it in the line of her business to visit the
meadow where the dog lay. With care
full eye and pricked-up ear she moved
softly across the mown field, little dream
ing that her canine friend was at that
moment near by, taking nap under the
hay. But Tassy had cat experience
enough to know that mice love just such
hidingplaces as hay-fields afford, and
seeing the pile that covered the dog she
stole slyly that way. Nearer and nearer
and still more softly she crept.
Then she stopped and stretched her
neck to look and listen. All, what was
that just under the edge of the heap? 1t
moved and rustled about,and even showed
ed the color of Its fur among the loose
timothy Surely if her eyes ever saw
mouse they saw one now.
CrOuching down again, Tassy crawled
several feet nearer; then gathering her
self, and rapidly measuring the distance
to make sure of her aim she vaulted into
the air and dropped down, all claws and
teeth, upon her prey.
Never did cat expectations come to
more surprising catastrophe. Up rose the
pile of hay as if can of gunpowder had
burst underneath, and big, living mass
bounded out, giving utterance to deaf
ening howl.
Poor Tassy did not wait to ascertain the
origin of this ferociOus yelp, but with ev-
cry hair on her body bristling she darted
for the orchard as fast as her four feet
could carry her. Her sole object in life
just then was to get up a tree. But the
cat did not have all the establishment to
herself. Halifax was as much "put out"
as Tassy. To have something come and
bite Install just as he was in the savOrest
bliss of beef bone dream was more than
he could stand. With his eyes yet hardly
open, failing to recognize his feline play
mate in the bundle of furry fright before
lim he gave chase across the meadow,
rowling in his anger at every jump.
rassy reached the fence and undertook to
scale it, but making an unlucky step she
aced about with a loud sputter, and put
her back up to fight.
For a second or two dog and cat stood
staring at each other, not three feet apart.
Then a whimsical look of recognition
,ame over both their faces, that SAID plain
Y as brute features can speak, I" We are
old !" Halifax Topped his ears, narrowed
lis great mouth to a kind of silly
grin, and tipped his head in a queer, side
wise gaze at the cat. Tassy drew in her
laws, and the stiff fur wilted upon her
,ack and tail. Evidently, both realized
he ridiculous joke and appreciated it.
exactly what communication passed be-
ween them there at the fence no one
,nows, but certainly good-nature was
thoroughly restored, and as they sauntered
way one could fancy that they agreed
ogether not to tell anybody how they
we're fooled. And all the rest of the
ummer Halifax showed signs of funny
collections every time he met the cat.
lie would twist his head in a quiZzical
Tay and seem to say
"Well, Tass, how about that mouse over
lere in the meadow ?''-Y0uth's Com
TNiDu