New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1879-12-14
THE CATS PILGRIMAGE.
BY JAMES ANTHONY FROUDE.
PART l.

tut II is rather bore +; j don't see the use OF
t. She raised herself. and arranging her tail
nto a ring, and seating herself in the middle OF
IL. with her fore-paws In straight line from
her shoulders, at right angles 10 the hearth-rug,
she looked pensively at the fire. : lt IL very
odd she went on: there is my poor Tom he
gone. / saw him stretched out in the yard.
spoke 10 him, and he took no notice OF me.
He won't, | suppose, ever any more, for they
put him under the earth. Nice fellow he was.
l. is wonderful how little one cares about it.
80 many jolly evenings we spent together and
now seem to get on quite as well without him.
| wonder what has become of him and my last
children, too, what has become of Them What
are we hers fOr3 | would ask the men, only
they are cOnceited and stupid they can't UNI
derstand what we say. hear them drOning
away, teaching their little ones every day tell
nag them to be good, and TO do what they are
bid, and all that. Nobody ever tells me to do
anything if they do don't do it, and | am
very good wonder whether should be any
better if minded more. I'll ask the Dog.
Dog sand she, to a little fat spaniel cOiled
mp on mat like lady's muH with head and
tail stuck on to it, Dog, what do you make of
Il ailf
The Dog family opened his languid eyes,
looked sleepily at the Cat for moment. and
dropped them again.
Dog she SAID, { | want to talk to you don't
GO to. sleep. Can't you answer civil ques-
ion y
Don't bother me- said the Dog, = am
tired. stood on my hind-legs ten minutes tins
morning before could get my breakfast, and
1t hasn't agreed with me-
who told you 10 do it = said the Cat.
Why, the lady l have TO take care Of me-
replied the Dog.
Do you feel any better for it, Dog. after
you have been standing on your legs ! asked
she.
Hav'n't told you, you stupid Cat that it
has MT agreed with me let me go TO sleep and
don't plague me.
But | mean persisted the Cat, DO You
feel Improved, as the men call it 2 They tell
81. Il 49, Al faII
they will improve, and grow good and great.
Do you feel good and great y
What do knOw?' said the Dog. eat my
breakfast and am happy. Let me alone
Do YOU never think, q Dog without q soul
Do you never wonder what dogs are and what
tins world Is y
The Dog stretched himself, and rolled his
eyes lazlly round the room. L conceive he
said, that the world is for dogs, and men and
women are put into il to take care OF dogs wO-
men To take care of httle dogs like me- and men
for the big dogs like those in the yard-and
CATS he continued, are to know their place,
and not to Toe Troublesome
They beat you sometimes said the Cat.
why do they do that9 They never beat me-
ii they forget their places and beat me-
sparled the Dog, bite them, and they don't
do it again. | should like to bite you, too, you
nasty Cat you have woke me up
There may be truth In what yOu say said
the Cat, calmly; but / think your view is Inn
tied. Iii you listened like me you would hear
the men say it was all made for them, and you
and were made Ia amuse Them
They don't dare TO say So, said the Dog:
They do, indeed said the Cat. :! hear
many things winch you lose 10y sleeping so
much. They think am asleep, and so they are
not afraid To talk before me but my ears are
open when my eyes are shut
You surprise me-, said the Dog. i never
listen to them, except when | take notice of
them, and then they never talk of anything ex-
cept OF me-.
could tell You thing OF two about your
self which you don't know said the Cat. You
have never heard, dare say, that once upon a
time your fathers lived in temple, and that
people prayed to them
Prayed! what Is thatP
why they went on their knees to You to ask
YOU to give them good things, just as you stand
On your toes TO them now to ask Tor your break
fast. You don't know either that you have got
one of those bright things we see up III the air
at night called after YOU
We'll. 1t is Just what / said,' answered the
Dog. told You it was all made for us: They
never dld anything of that sort for you
Didn't they ! Why, there was whole city
where the people did nothing else, and as soon |
as we got stiff and couldn't move about any
more, instead of being put under the ground
like poor Tom, we used TO be stuffed full OF all
sorts OF nice things, and kept better than We
were when we were alive
You are a very wise Cat answered her COM
paniOn; but what good Is 1t knowing all tins
why, don't you see,' SAID she, they don't 90
il any more. We are gong down III the word,
are, and that Is why living on III way II
such an unsatisfactory sort OF thing. don't
mean TO complain f0r myself, and you needn't,
Dog; We have quiet lite OF IL /; put quiet
life Is not the thing, and If there is nothing To
he done except sleep and eat and eat and sleep,
why, as | said before, don't see tine use OF 1t.
There Is something more III 1t than that; there
was once and there will be again, ana shan't
be happy till find il out. 1t Is shame. Dog,
say. The men have been here only lew tnou-
sand Years, and we-wny, we have been here
hundreds of thousands; If we are older, we
ought To be wiser; I'll go and ask the creatures
III the woods
You'll learn more from the men, said the
Dog.
They are stupid, and they don't know what
] say 10 them besides, they are so concerted
they care for nothing except themselves. No,
shall try what | can do IN the woods. Ia as
soon 90 after poor / ON as stay living any longer
like tnls.'
And where il poor Tom ? yawned the Dog
THAT Is Just one OF the things L want To
KNOW answered she. Poor Tom Is lying
under the yard, or the skin OF bin. but whether
that Is the whole 1 don't teel so sure. They
didn't think SO iii the city told you about. IL
is beautiful day, Dog; you won't take trOt
out with me y she added, wisttully.
'Wbo-IP said the Dog. Not quite
You may get so wise said she.
Wisdom is good said the Dog; but SO Is
the hearth-rug, thank you!
'ButyOu may be free, said she.
Il shall have to hunt Tor my own dinner SAID
be.
'But, Dog, they may pray to you again. said
she.
Cat, ana as 1 am rather delicate, that Is Il con-
sldeiatIOn.
PART H.
SO the Dog wouldn't 20, and the Cat set of
t,y herself to learn how 10 be happy. and 10 be
all that Cat could be. 1t was fine sunny
morning. She determined to Try the meadow