The Manitowoc tribune. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1866-1878, 1877-10-25
The Deucou's Cat.

Teddy was known everywhere as the
deacon's cat. The deacon had brought
him up from kittenhood, and used often
to boast that Teddy knew quite as much
as some children.
The cat had a history, too. The dca-
con, once upon time, was seen going
down to the river, n bag on his shoulder
with big stone i'll it, followed for some
distance by two chubby children, crying
Justify. Twice did the deacon put down
the bag, which moved in spite of the
stone, and mewed piteously, to chase The
children home, but they still followed,
though at a greater distance, and still
cried, till the deacon and the empty bag
came back-then they yelled
On the following morning the deacon
heard his little ones talking together in
SO soft and subdued manner that he
was tempted to listen.
''See it cuddle Oh, amt you glad 2"
eyes, amt it petty? It's all gray"
"Where'd You find it?''
Under the hay. L guess old catty
thought she'd hide it, don't you? Papa
ketched four, an there was five of 'em.
We won't tell him, cause he'll drown it
if we do"
The deacon laughed and sat down to
think. 1t would never do to let the boys
deceive him after that fashion; SO, seeing
that Johnny ate only half of his milk,
aud Dickey saved slice of his bread, he
set his wits to work.
4 wonder if | found all them kittens,
mother2' he asked. The deacon had
never studied Lindley's grammar.
Johnny looked up in nervous terror.
His brown eyes dilated.
Il almost wish you had left one, :" said
the good woman, who had received her
lesson. 1.-The children like pet, you
know"
q should think they had more pets
now than they could care for" was the
response.
"No, we amt" in intelligent chorus
Il didn't search the straw" continued
the deacon, with twitching lips, Z" but if
L thought there was one there"
No, there amt; he's gone y cried
Johnny.
Gone Why, did you find another
kitten?" asked the deacon, in assumed
establishment
Because if you did you can keep
1t, y said the mother, seeing a scared de-
NAL visible IN both faces
Oh, it's ies' as nice and soft as it can
be = cried Johnny, so happy that he
trembled. May go up and get it
Its almost smothered in box
All right" said the deacon, us grave
ly as he could. ''You may keep it.
and L think you had better let old pussy
have it for a while, or it will starve to
death.
So the kitten was saved, and grew and
thriyed as the boy said, and at years
of age, when Johnny was II and Dicky
was 10, there was not a handsomer grey
cat in all Allentown. Even the deacon
WAS proud of it, and used to show off its
wonderful tricks. and tell how Tom was
saved from an early death by 90 them two
boys of his
One hot summers Sabbath following
= week of hard work Mt having, the
deacon went to church alone. His wife
was visiting III a neighboring city with
her sister, and the boys were away at
school.
Now, the deacon had one failing; he
would sleep in church in drowsy weather,
as he called a hot spell. His wife was
Obliged to exercise the utmost diligence
Ill order to keep him..half awake, if no
more, and her greatest anxiety on leav-
ing home was on this account
1t happened that day there was a
strange minister, an old man with SER
mon that extended to the ss fifthlies. -
AT about the 60 thirdly the deacon fell
asleep. The pews directly in front and