Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1879-01-22
Nelly and Lucy.
BY DOROTHY DOOLITTLE.

0 mamma. fink papa is bringing me
home n kitty, for hear it crying. Little
four year-old Nelly, with glowing cheeks
appeared before her mother one summer
afternoon with this exciting information.
Sure enough. there was papa coming down
the road, walking very fast, with something
in his hands which was crying with loud
meow, meow.
1t is wild kitten, said he, when he
reached mamma and Nelly, who stood ex-
pectantly on the doorstep.
1t was under Mrs. Lucas's barn with its
mother and brothers, and caught it as it
ran out to play! Papa put the kitten in
barrel and then looked at his hands; they
were badly scratched.
Meow, meow! want TO get out cried
the little prisoner. Mamma brought a
saucer of milk which papa put carefully
down on the bottom of the barrel, but kitty
was too frightened to drink. They covered
the barrel, leaving little place for venti-
lalion. Nelly said she would name it Lucy.
She had had two kittens before, and she
called them both Lucy.
Lucy cried until she was hoarse; then
| she became quiet, but it was several days
before she allowed any one to come near
without splitting at them. Mely's mamma
| would sometimes take the kitten out of
the barrel and stroke its back, trying to
make it understand she was its friend
One day she put it on the ground. little
fearful that it might run away, but the lit
tie thing trotted all around the garden af
ter its mistress, and back to the house
again. After that there was no further
trouble with Lucy. The rats that used to
come so boldly to the hen house and eat
the chickens breakfast and had enjoyed
promenade every evening between the
dwelling house and poultry yard,now see
inc Lucy's bright eyes, and being afraid,
perhaps, that they might feel her sharp
claws, took themselves off to other places.
One day Nelly came into the room where
her mother sat sewing. Her little face
looked troubled. What is the matter with
my little girl? asked her mamma. Have
you been naughty, or cannot you make
your hair curl, or what is the trouble?
was linking, mamma, what we would
do with Lucy if we moved to Los Angeles,
rs papa said to-day; and she looked down
at the sleeping kitten she held in her arms
which seemed more like gray ball than a
cat.
Oh, wen take her. We won't 90 with
out Lucy, said mamma. So when the kit
ten awoke, Nelly explained to her that she
was going to Los Angeles 10 live, fourteen
miles away, which important information
the baby cat received very calmly. merely
winking her blue eyes. When moving day
came, Lucy was placed in wooden box
with Stats across the top to admit light and
air, and the box put on to one of the furni-
ture wagons.
Good-by, Lucy, said Nelly.
New, new, | don't like riding at all,
said Lucy. But the driver said afterwards
that she soon curled down in corner of
the box, and went to sleep; and when
Nelly reached her new home, she found
her kitten walking around with very
contented air.
Great was the excitement of the little
girl. when Lucy caught her first mouse,
and brought it in, and laid it in her milk
saucer, which stood under bench in the
kitchen. She seemed to think that was the
proper place for all her food
Lucy is now Il matronly cat, and could
you see her stretched out in the shade of
the tomato plants in the garden, too lazy
even to come and eat her dinner, you
would never dream she was the same pus-
sy that last night caught six gophers. and
carried them to her babies in the barrel
house.-Aduance.