Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1879-01-08
YOUTHS COLUMN.

Dido.-I know of funny kitten. Her
name is Dido, and she drinks her milk
from bottle. Bat let me begin at the
beginning, and tell you all about her.
Well, have little boy named Nor
gan, and little girl named Bessie, and
they are sweet, good little darlings,
with ever SO tender hearts. And one
day, while sat in nv sewing-room, up
came Bessie and Morgan, pell- NELL, both
talking very loud and very fast. Each
was carrying something in soiled and
spoiled apron; and Bessie had tears in
her eyes.
At first couldn't tell what was the
matter; but presently L caught the
words, Galley" and "kitty," and
''drowDd-ed," and then, when L saw
two little wet, sbivering kittens in their
aprons, knew in moment somebody
had found the poor little things in the
alley, half-drownd-ed, and left to die,
and had brought them to my little ones.
"We'll take care of them, won't we,
mamma?" said Bessie, a smile shining
through her tears. "And you'll be their
mamma, won't you, mammal" said
Morgan, putting the dripping black
mite down on my nice, clean apron.
'Sweet, precious things!" said Bessie,
putting her kitten, too, on my lap.
So took the poor little things, wiped
them nice and dry, and rolled them up
in an old flannel shirt that / used 10
wrap Morgan's little cold toes in when
he was a tiny baby, and put them by
the kitchen-fire. And the end of it was
that one of them lived, and the ''dearest
one," as Morgan said, died. And the
one that lived is Dido.
Such spoiled Dido as she is! And
such funny Dido! She is so black that
on black dress you can hardly see her;
and when she rides about the room, as
she is very fond of doing, on my long
skirts, can only tell by the 'pull" that
she is there. When she first began to
run around, she used to perch herself
upon broken flatiron under the kitch-
en- stove; and one could hardly tell
where the fiatiron ended, and Dido be-
gan. If we were to send her to a cat
show, feel sure that she would take the
first prize for ugliness.
But sue Is such cunning kitten that
we do not mind her looks. She dearly
loves the children, Bessie and Morgan.
Early in the morning she comes TO my
room TO play with them; and such
frolic as they have! She loves 10 play
with their bare feet, and, dear me, how
they scamper.
Round aud round they go, and Dido
after them, with her tail AS straight as
an arrow, and her eyes like balls of fire.
Then she helps them to to put on their
shoes and stockings, and helps me TO
dress them; and, when Pm in IL great
hurry, have to put her in the clset till
tie children are dressed.
There is nothing going on in the
house that Dido hasn't a hand, or
paw in. II am fixing my hair, she
must run up on my shoulders, and help
me. If bundle is to be made up, she
must make a run and snatch for the pa
per and strings. Ii any cutting, or sew
Ing, or writing, or, in fact, any thing,
is done, it takes half ones time to make
Dido behave herself. Whenever aay
thing is out of order, we no longer say,
1.-The children must have been here;"
but we say, "Here's some more of Di-
dos work.
But our talk about Dido has been long
enough for this time. Some other time,
when Bessie and Morgan and Dido have
gone to sleepy-town, and there is no one
to disturb me, DO kitten TO bite or slap
my pen as write, | will tell you some-
thing about a friel of DidO's, named
Bruin.