St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1877-11-09
The Deacon'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 history, too. The
Deacon, once upon a time, was seen
going down to the river, bag on his
shoulder, with big stone in it, follow
ed for soiue distance by two chubby
children, crying Justify. Twice did the
Deacon put down the bag, which moved
in spite of the stone, and mewed pite
ously, to chase the children home, out
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.
''Seeit cuddle! "Oh, amt you glad 2"
eyes, amt it petty 2 It's all gray.
Let's put it in box"
"Where'd you find it 2"
"Under the hay. 1 guess old catty
thought she'd hide it, don't you Z? Papa
ketched four, and 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 Johnny ate only half of his
milk, and Dickey saved slice of his
bread, he set his wits to work.
81 wonder if found all them kittens,
mother 2" he asked The Deacon had
never studied Lindley's grammar.
Johnny looked up in nervous terror.
His brown eyes dilated.
81 almost wish you had left one,"
said the good woman, who had received
her lesson. ''The children like pets,
you know"
II should think they had more pets
now than they could care for" was the
response.
mo, we ain't," in intelligent chorus.
81 didn't search the straw continued
the Deacon, with twitchiug lips, "but
if thought there was one there"-
9'No, there amt; he's gone!n cried
Johnny.
"Gone! Why, did you find another
kitten ?" asked the Deacon in assumed
astonishment.
"Because if you did, you can keep
it,n said the mother, seeing scared de-
nial visible in both faces.
"Oh, it's jes' as nice and soft as it can
be w cried Johnny, so happy that he
trembled. MAY go up and get it 2
It's almost smothered in box.n
"AIl right" said the Deacon, as
gravely as he could. "You may keep
it, and | think you had better let old
pussy have it for while, or it will
starve to DEATH"
So the kitten was saved, and grew
and thrived as the boys did, and at six
years of age when Johnny was twelve
and Dickey was ten, there was not a
handsomer gray cat in all Allentown.
Even the Deacon was proud of it, and
used to show off its wonderful tricks,
and tell how Teddy was saved from an
early death by f'them two boys of his ,;
One hot summers Sabbath following
a week. of hard work at haying, the
Deacon went to church alone. His wife
was visiting in 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 wealth
er, as he called hot spell. His wife
was obliged to exercise the utmost dill
| gence in order to keep him half awake,
if no more, and her greatest anxiety on
i leaving home was on this account.
1t happened that day that there was
a strange minister, an old man with a