The Manitowoc tribune. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1866-1878, 1877-07-26
The Cat With a Broken Tail.

soothe the poor cat; but she wouldn't
be comforted. Her poor, poor tail !
How could it ever wave again? 1t was
surely broken by that cruel door.
"She can't waggle it." said Jimmy,
with great sympathy.
"Nor' cried Mary. ''You broke it
for her.
81 didn't mean to. Perhaps it's not
broken-only pinched little
"Oh it is; it is Poor thing. Do see
how it dfoops at the end"
Anyway, it didn't come off,"
It's mercy it didn't, Jimmy Barnes.
How she would have looked if the piece
had come off y
1T would have been awfuller still,
said Jenny, with great earnestness.
Meanwhile the poor old cat lay on the
rug, moaning and mourning in true cat
language for her bighted tail The two
girls bent over her with expressions of
the warmest interest. and no doubt the
cat felt very much better for their kind
coincidence.
cit isn't the hurting, you know" said
Mary, Though that's bad enough. It's
the disgrace of the thing. How will she
ever hold up her head with a broken tail
hanging down behind? She'll be so
mortified -
"And the waggle won't run out to the
end, remarked Jimmy.
"No, poor thing the 'spression will
only go part way"
"And the broken piece will hang
there, SO limp and awkward, Just like
my cuffs when the stiflening is all gone.
And how it will look! Oh, dear l
think we ought to call the DOCTOR"
So we had. Why didn't we think
of it before? Run, jimmy; run for DR..
Green.
"Oh! I guess he wouldn't come for
o cat"
"He would if he knew how bad she
felt
"Let's take her to him."
'Let's. III get basket said JIM
my.
They all three concluded this would
be the best plan. Jimmy got the big
market-basket, and Mary ran for her
hat, while Jenny sat on the floor with
the unfortunate patient. She and the
cat had their things on, and could start
right away.
ooh, Jimmy Barnes how stupid you
are. We couldn't put her in that
thing"
"Well, Mary, never mind. Let's take
her in our arms"
Shortly after this, Jimmy, Mary, and
Jenny appeared on the street in melan-
choly procession. Jimmy went before :;
Jenny followed, with the poor unfortu-
nate cat in her arms and Mary. all
sympathy, and with teary lashes, walked
beside her in the character of nurse and
general assistant.
Doctor Green opened the door him
self. He was a young man, and a very
good doctor, and when he saw the three
children on the steps he said politely:
GOOD morning, children. What can
1 do for you?''
cob! Doctor Green, my cat has
broken her tail, said Mary.
cit didn't quite come off" put in
Jimmy.
Meow ! meow % moaned the cat.
"The patient speaks for herself. said
Doctor Green.
Yes. sir; she does. And, doctor,
don't you think you could fix it for herr"
If Doctor Green had not been a wise
man he would have laughed. He did
not, for he was a good surgeon and a
very wise man, indeed.
:" The patient has my hearty sympa-
thy. Bring her into my office, and let
me see her poor tall
The children were surprised and over
loyed at this sudden turn in affairs, and
they marched into the little Office. cat
and all.
" A cat with a broken tail would be a
truly pitiful object" said Doctor Green.
=" Yes, sir; and think how mortifv
ing y
=" The waggle would only go part
way" added Jimmy, with great solem
nifty.
me doctor was ready to cry with
laughter, but he did not. He took the
unfortunate cat in his arms and examined
her injured tail. Puss seemed to know
that everything WAS all right. and sub
mltted to the examination with great
moral courage. The children gathered
round with the greatest interest and
then, the doctor said soberlv:
1T is broken; but, perhaps, if We
put on a splint it will heal up again.
nope so, s;titt tisry, WITH sigh,
of relief.
g Let her rest on the floor, said the
doctor, and do you pat her gently and
keep her quiet while [ put on a splint. "
Mary and Jenny made the cat con-
Portable on the floor, and tried to s,,e,izz...
Ter feelings g ~. IS possible. JIM
my, meanwhile, stood in wide-eyed won
der by the table, while the doct II pre-
pared the splint. First he took A sheet
of very stir cloth from a drawer. and
then with pair of long shears he cut
out 4 piece about four inches wide and
ten inches long. The cloth was dark
eolored, and ii was smooth and stiff ike
cardboard. Then he took two little