The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1877-06-14
From Scribner for Junc.i
Calvin the Cat.
EY CHARLES DUDLEY WARNER.

| American by birth as he certainly was in svmpa-
| my calvin was given to me eight years ago by
Mrs. Stowe, but she knew nothing Of his age or
| origin. He walked into her house one dav out of
the great unknown and became at once at home
as If he had been always u friend of the family
Tie appeared to have artistic and literary tastes
and It was as if he had inquired at the door if that
was the residence of the author of Uncle Toms
| CABIN and upon being assured that it was had
decided to dwell there. When he came to Mrs.
Stowe he was as large as he ever was, and appar-
| ently as OLD as he ever became. Yet there was in
INN no appearance of age; he was in the happv
maturity Of all his powers, and you would rather
have SAID that in that maturity he had found the
secret of perpetual youth And it was as difficult
to believe that he would ever be aged as it was to
| imagine that he had ever been inimmature youth
! There was III him mysterious perpetuity.
| After some years, when Mrs. Stowe made her
WINTER home In Florida, Calvin came to live with
| us. From the first moment he fell into the WAYS
| OF the house and assumed recognized position in
| the famiy-l say recognized, because after he be-
came known he was always inquired for by visit
orS, and IN the letters 10 the other members of the
family he always received message. Although
the least obtruSiye of beings, his individuality al
/ ways lnadC Itself felt.
Ills personal appearance had much to do will
TINS, for he was of royal mould and had an air of
| high breeding. lie was large bat he had nothing
nt the fat grosSnesS Of the celebrated Angora fam
| ny though powerful, he Wa, rNquister proper
| toned and as graceful in every movement i, n
young leopard. " hen he stood up to open a door
- he opened all the doors with old fashioned
latchcs - he was portentouslv tail, and when
stretched on the rug before the fire he Seemed too
| long for thls world-aS indeed he was His coat
was the finest and SotteSt | have ever scent
shade of quiet Maltese and from his throat
downward. underneath he wore the whtest and
most delicate crnlne; and no person was ever
more tastldiotsly neat In his finely formed head
You saw something of his ariStocrttic character;
the cars were small and cleanlv cut there was a
tlngc OF pink Ill the noStrils. his face was hand
some and the expression Of his countcnance cx-
ceedingly intelligent should call il even sweet
expression II the term were not inconsistent with
his look OF alefneSS and Sagacitv.
1t is difficult to convey Il lust idea of his pavety
III connection with his dignity and gravity which
his name expressed. AS we know nothing of his
family, OF course it will be understood that Calvin
was his Christian name. He had times of relaxa-
ton INTO utter playtuness, deliglting in a ball of
yarn, catching sportIyey at stray ribbons when his
mistress was at her toilet and pursuing his own
| tail with hlarity for lacl, of anything better He
could amuse himself by the hour and he did not
care for children; perhaps something in his past
was present to his memory. He had absolutely
no bad habits, and ms disposition was perfect /
never saw hun exactly angry. though have seen
his tail grow to an enormous size when sranrn
cat appeared upon his lawn. lie disliked cats cv-
identity regarding them rs feline and trrachrrous
and he had no association with them. Occasion
ally there would be night concert in the shrub
DefN. GAVIN world ask To have the door opened
and then WnIlI hear ,,,1
the concert would cv,lodn ,nd t.It.; ii ",i>,
quietly come in and resunn lis Snat ~, ~"
hearth. There was no trace of anger in his man
ner- but he wouldn't have any Of that about the
house. He had the rare virtue Of magnanimitv
Although he had fixed notions about his own
them hr navnr sbnwnd toIIn,,n ~ - Io''iiiS
sI,uv and firmly ,nrs.t.d it,Il h % ne
wantrd IJis rt MS ,'n WI ~ iii h@ il' iip
that Of tbr scholars hnut dicfin,oi .i'S '''' vas
the bnst III INV a. ynIl ~ ~
in thr hnsr and would go i' ;tit Mt WAS
to be lad nd If tbrr ,rnr 'uiM'l MTI
wait over thr turkr tn snn If t ,t. m ,,i m"u4
not bn tortb,n,n;11, IN H. - ~ v! a'eln "o'i''
,rnur,,,,,, No. ,,iIi 90, ~ S, nN : ~ "'' 1t 2toSS
mo- Il ,nd +jnmh o w. ,,,t - lip pay c 'a'
Ills hoL;ts t,n,i;,,,r o'ii!5 'iloHt'' "ll'
nsnd , tnif M H. ,,I1 i @ ,'iiGN liV eNtt
draw tb f,r l n, mptl', Put up ms ai4 ana
crown nrsnn MAJ ~ li",'.i s's sr"triiy as
w3rId ,ot a,t j.; tl t;t,I t"iiipeIie' ne
lis ,mans IN H., l;ii, 'i ~ i"sif'r" upon
tinti ~. ''.1 i'" dl!o N"tu W'5l. pa
h.. ,;s r,. ~ "Ii' PiuSeHt "Hu tHeu
tho r ,mr iHItoLi h"PH2 'ilai
% MN i" H. + Su'"l 81 'he o 'hG mouse aho
l ~ t7i.. i'm ii' 'iii''S' ne! uSpu 70 say lill