The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1874-06-25
Cats and Cat People.

1t is rather surprising that such an UNI
l0Vable animal as the cat ever came to be
tolerated. Ii has really nothing to recon-
mend it, except, perhaps, a pretty coat
and a fairly graceful carriage. In DISPOSE
ton il Is treacherouS, cunning and suspi-
cious to the last degree. 1t is the reverse
of intelligent except in the entrapping,
tOrmenting and devOuring of unfortunate
birds and mice. Though often melOdious-
ly inclined. those who know most about
its vocal endeayOrs are not backward in
declaring that, though they evidence con-
siderable power they display little musical
ability. Certainly, it has talent fOrlook-
ing after itself. If there is anything to be
gained it will probably rub up against you.
leaving numerous hairs on your coat, and
purr meanwhile; if, on the other hand, it
imagines there is nothing TO be got by
wheeling it will spit and claw you upon
the slightest provocatiOn. Ii is constant
ly demonstrating that it cares not a jOt for
those who nurture it-that il entertainS
much more regard for its home than for
the amicable person who provides it with
the same. So far we have been speaking
Of cats with four legs, but the craftiness,
treachery and cruelty of these are excelled
by the crafuness, treachery and cruelty OF
the cats with two legs, with which the
world has good reason for being sufficient
ly familiar. There may be some natural
affinity between cats with four legs and
cats with two. AT any rate, they fire.
quently take kindly to each other-that is
to say, as kindly as it is in their natures to
do so.
One Of the most disaSreeable represent
atives of the cat tribe is the female who, as
rule, has cold gray eye, with just a
tinge of green in it, not always palpable,
butplainly discernible in certain light.
There is generally pinched look about
her features, somewhat out of harmony
with the sleek way which she adopts
when DESTROYS of advancing herself in
your good graces. She is great mistress
of the art OF politeness, and when she
wants to be civil her pOliteness becomes
of the eXcruclating Kind. Nothing can
drive away the sweet smile which hoverS
about her lips, and which would be simply
captivating if it were not accompanied,
when anything occurs to dIsplease her.
by certain suggestive cleaning and half
disguised grinding of her teeth. Not that
the dear creature is addicted to openly
owning at such times that she is veXed.
On the contrary, when she does 90 in for
the angelic business she goes in for it
thoroughly. Her servants may smash her
crockery ware, her children may eat Just
what they are not wanted to. and her hus-
band may say a hundred things unpleas-
ant for her to hear, and she will make no
sign that you, being a visitor at her table,
can detect. At the same time the objects
Of her wrath know that, as soon as you
have departed, they will get talked to in a
manner calculated to ruffie the equanimity
of the strongest. IL is when YOU are out
of the way that she becomes thoroughly
vicious, and that her company smile
changes to a dreadful scowl. As we have
implied, she will become perfectly seraph
&c for a season in order TO conclliate your
favor, if she imagines it is worth securing.
But the Seraphic mood does not easily sit
on her for very long together, and she in
variably ends by falling out with you and
giving You taste of her claws. Not only
will she, after having come out in her true
character, stigmatiZe you as a scOundrel
and what not 10 every one who will pa
tiently listen TO her, but she will make a
point of speaking her mind 10 you with
more than sufficient plainness. She is
continually in a state of unmeaSured fury
with some one or other, and the number
of disagreeable things which she has to
say of those against whom her dignity is
excited may well be a matter for wonder.
Her unreasonable bitterness in regard to
those who have incurred her displeasure
is not more repulsive than her abieCt sy-
cOphancy toward those who may, for the
time being, stand well in her estimation.
1t may be remarked that no one ever yet
continued TO do so for any length OF
time.
Though cats, such as those described
above, are mischievous and diSa@reeable,
they are not so dangerous as cats of a
younger age and more attractive appear
ance. Young men would do well to be-
ware of those unless they wish to be COM
PEELED TO put in an appearance at the
breach-Of promise court. to be made a
laughing-stock of. to be mulcted in heavy
damages, and to be forced to pay fOrmida-
bic bills Of costs. 1t is the aim of these
eats to get hold on a man, and when
they have him in their power to cause him
to know it. There is certain feline pref
tinesS about them, at times, which, per-
haps, renders them attractive in the eyes
of some males. But man had better lose
all his money upon the turf ere he be-
comes enamOred of one of them. By the
way, if he does squander fortune in this
fashion, and, if the fact becomes known,
he is not likely TO be placed in much dam
ger, for maidens of the order under notice
fight rather shy of SWANS who are penni-
less. The damsels are apt to lead their
lovers rather hard life, jealousy being
one of their strongest characteristics. A
poor fellow runs a very good chance of be-
ing taxed with the basest perfidy if he is
anything more than merely cOldly civil TO
the various ladies with whom he is
brought in contact. Even when they are
billing and cooling together his love will
show that she is haunted by doubts as to
his constancy, and a succession of the
most ardent kisses and endearing careSSes
will not always succeed in allaying her
suspicious. She does not tell him so in
plain terms that if she discovers he is false
and is making fool of her he will be
called upon TO answer for his iniquity; but,
nevertheless, he has not much difficulty in
discerning that such is the case. The
watch which she keeps upon him is keen
er than the riyeteu gaze which her four
legged namesake is wont to regard a
mOuse-hOle. The avidity with which she
seiZes upon information relating TO his
past career, and the manner in which she
prizes into all that concerns him, would
warn any but an infatuated fool of what he
may nave 10 expect IN the future. Lovers,
AS rule. however, being both infatuated
and foolish, do not always discover what
she is until they have gone too far to draw
back with honor and safety. They may,
perhaps, see that there is something fierce
and treacherous about her, but when they
are in state of infatuation the evidence OF
their own senses Is practically useless At
tracted at first by her overpowering
sweetness (she would as soon think of at
tempting to fly as contradicting a victim
ere she imagineS she has got him thor
oughly in her clutches; you might con-
clude from her demeanor that he was TO
her kind OF idol who contained. bottled
up within himself. all the virtues and COM
mon sense that the most exacting could
expect TO find in man(-he does not de-
tect her sheathed talons, and when he
does is unsCphisticated enough TO imagine
that she will not use them. Perhaps. if he
is becomingly submissive, she fails TO do
so before marriage; but, after the Gordian
knot has been tied, she quickly makes
amends for lost time. Her independence
and spirit are alarming, and the manner
in which she demonstrates that she DOS
sesseS these things is still more so. With
all her other faultS boxUavay ir i NOT oil