The anti-monopolist. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1874-1878, 1877-04-05
Turning Into Cats.

Once there was law that, on a
certain day, when the Westinghouse
bell rang for noon, everybody should
turn into cat.
Some people don't believe this is
true but you ask the children and
the barn-swallows
Well, and SO you may be sure it was
great fun to sit up on the big granite
rock on the side of Deer Hill and see
them turn, just where they were and
| whatever they were doing, at the very
minute
The minister's son had come into
the study, with his hat in his hand,
and said:
ssShall Cornelius and I. sir. take our
scythes, sir, and go out aud NOW a
little while, sir y
And then Mr.. Fadyon's fool caught
hold of the bell-rope.
Mr.. Fadyon's fool knew some things
as well as anybody and he knew how
to ring the bell exactly when the sun
dial and the noon-mark and his grand
mothers eight-day clock said it was
noon.
So s'ding, dong - went the bell, and
it was only Maltese kitten that had
hold of the rope!
just 1t that hour, Aunt Patty was
out in her garden hoeing weeds, with
an old hat of Uncle Rodney's tied on
her head; and she beganito turn, first her
nose and then her chin. They were
very long and sharp when she was
Aunt Patty, and they grew short and
snubby, and whiskers began to start,
! and her ears pricked up as though she
| heard something, and then, quicker
than you could say ''scatv' she was a
spotted cat chasing Deacon Davis
hens, that were trying to sneak
through the garden fence with the
old ROSTERS spurs on. After soaring
them half ont Of their feathers, she
kept on through Mrs. Deacon Davis's
cathode, and up in the back chamber,
where she prowled about and shifted
in all the dark corners and behind the
old tea-chests and barrels.
When she was Aunt Patty she al
ways inistrusted whether or no Mrs.
Deacon Davis hadn't some cobwebs
and poke-holes out of sight, for all
that she kept everything looking neat
| as wax on the outside.
And then the ministers son jumped
with one spring on the minister s
shoulder, and began to bite the min
ister's hair and claw off his glasses. for
he liked rough ways and mischief as
we'll as any boy, only he had to be
proper because he was the minister s
son.
The minister looked around solemn
and dignified, a good deal astonished;
and then his glasses grew rounder and
rounder. and his arms grew slenderer
and slenderer; and then he seemed to
wink all over; and then there was a
great black cat, with white spot on
his throat and white face and four
white feet, sitting in the study chair.
swapping at the flies. with one paw on
volume of Jonathan Edwards ser
mons.
1t was great change for the min
lister. But as for Mrs. Deacon Davis
she didn't seem to need to alter bit
Her eyes were the mildest skim-mill
before, much more faded than an ole
cats eyes; and her hair was pale buff
and sort of furry. And she had a way
Of rubbing herself against the side Of
! her chair as she talked along in a kline
of purr-purring tone. She stopped
work for the first time in her life
though, and taking her yellow paws
out Of the wash-tub, went to chasing
dandelion-down.
But as soon as ten clocks anywhere
in the town struck one at the same
second, all the cats turned back tt
people again; and you onght to have
seen how surprised they were to catch
themselves doing such odd things.
Aunt Patty was rummaging through
the minister's wife's bureau-drawel
among her best clothes and, bad a.
that looked in cat, it looked thOus
and times worse in Aunt Patty, with
Uncle Rodney's hat still on her head
. and hoe under her arm.
Mrs. Deacon Davis was curled VI
asleep in the rocking-chair. and sh,
rubbed her eyes and put her hands il
the wash tub again, and didn't know
. anything had happened. She wouldn'
believe it now if you should tell her
Only, when her clock struck one III
was always a little slow. she fel
.. grieved to see few cats hairs on he
chair-cushion, and to find she had los
) so much good time light out of tn
: heart of the day. "But them sh
thought, "my nap has rested me u
completely, and with such poor healtl
as enjoy, do suppose | needed it
And, all is, must work the smarte
,, to make up
: The minister looked most astOnishe'
: to find himself playing with larg
!. brown, limp rat. ssIt is very extraor
|, binary. Most remarkable - said he
"Gloriana!' he continued, turning t
q the black serving-maid, who wa
; swinging herself down from tn
: cherry-tree, where, moment before
Q she had been black kitten, chasing
. squirrel. ssGloriana! you may tax
q this dead animal and bury the crea
e ture in the garden. 1t will act as
. fertilizer.
:. And then he began to walk up an
It down the footpath, from the door +
+ the gate, with his hands behind him
a and to think over the heads OF his mex
} sermon.
r On the whole, it was funnier whe
Il - IL -~~