The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1881-12-16

A short time since the London Tele-
graph, which is always saying some
thing to get somebody into trouble, pub
lshed an article relative to the engross-
ing partiality which the domestic cat
feels for its home, its vehement yearEing
to return thither when circumstances
over which it has no control have resul-
ted in its transferto unfamiliar localities,
and all that sort of thing, winding up by
giving an interesting account of how GER
tain eminent Dutch naturalists had util-
lied Grimalkin as letter carrier-made
a sort of carrier pigeon Of the cat in fact.
OF thrty-seven cats carried miles from
their native village and turned loose
with letters tied around their necks not
one failed to get back to the starting
point in time
Well, young Mr. TilIinghast out on
West Hill, read this article, and ro-
mantle conception occurred to him right
on the spot. While he was burning a
limited quantity of old Judge Dietfien-
baugh's gas and just running Miss def
enbaugh's' bangs that evening, he told
Miss Dietfenbangh all ab rut it. Happy
scheme born OF loves emergencies.
Mr.. Tillinghast would carry Elfrida's
beloved maltese home with him that
night. The next evening, when the
stars were shining, and the presence of
the old Judge, returned from circuit, for
bade Clarence about the premises, the
maltese home returning would bear, bound
to its neck by silken cord, memo
randum of Clarence, his uudying affec-
ton, and one thing another
Clarence loved the maltese for its mis-
tress sake but it Just called for all
the love he had in the warehouse before
he got it home, The maltese was one OF
the fiery, untamed Ukraine breed; blue
as smoke, with a tail like second growth
bologna sausage, and weighed about
twenty three pounds. Its name was
Cleopatra. 1t was really Mark Antony
cat, but Miss Diffenbaugh called it Cleo
patra because it was such pretty name
You can never tell whether a cat ha.
right to vote or not by the name girl
gives it,
Mr.. TillinghaSt tucked the cat unde
his coat as well as he could, but the ca
stuck out fore and aft. Vainly he strug
gled with it, bowsprit or spanker woulo
stand out in spite of him. And wher
he was about half way home he met {
group OF friends, ladies and gentlemen
returning from some festive and expen
sive ice cream saloon. They accoste(
him, and he had to let 90 with one han,
to lift his hat, and as he did so Cleopatr
got his head out and yelled for fresh al
in tone that blighted the lilacs an,
threw one of the ladies into Mysteries
Appalled, by the fearful sound and it
terrible consequence, Mr. Tlllinghas
was hurrying on, when one of the ger
tlcman collarcd him and told him tina
in his opinion it was a very brutal, cow
ardly trick, and one that no gentlema
would be guilty of, and he believed Nj
1illinghast never would have done it ha
he not been intoxicated, and he woul
expect an explanation and apology frol
him when he was sober.
Greatly depressed in spirit, Mr.. Til
inghast pursued his homeward wa,
Cleopatra occasionally clawing his riI
| in manner that indicated an earl
grave, Often the ematic eccentricities {
Cleopatra compelled the young man t
weep aloud, but they reached home {
last, Cleopatra curled up on the foot {
the bed and purred himself to sleep wit
the calm content OF cat that had mad
substantial lunch of the human rib
and Mr., Iillingh9st sat up the great,
part Of the night writing a letter full {
poetry, and bathing his lacerated bod
Next evening he made ready to sen
his messenger home In order to i
crease the cats "yehement yearning'
return home, Mr.. Tillinghast had fed
nothing during the day, and Cleopatr
in the frenzy of hunger, had chased il
agnary rats about the room until the
wasn't lett in it a piece of fragile furr
ture big enough 10 break again, III
: only thing that wasn't scratched was Il
: ceiling, AMI the only thing that wasl
broken was the hammer,
| "lf" said Mr., Tilinghast, holding |