Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1882-04-13

1t was fortunate that almost all tht
cats who were old enough to walk knew
their names well enough to answer tt
them, for by the time the Hall was full
it was also time to have a milk lunch
and so the saucers were put in a double
row down the middle of the floor, with q
row of towering plants between, and
the two hundred and odd pussies were
invited to begin eating
Nsw,it was impossible to expect perfect
behavior from people who had already
committed the mistake of having an ex.
ira pair of legs and no arms; but such
are pussies, and tnis appears to be the
most obvious reason why they are not
boys and girls. Murdoe was never
known to be polite at all, and he looked
at his saucer of milk for some time as
if it were so much smaller than he that
he was not sure about its being there in
licks he cleared all the milk out of it.
1t happened that his next-hand neigh
Dor was little fly of cat who was not
plucky enough to say boo to pug dog.
Murdoc thought moment, and then al
lowed his tongue to reach the cowardly
little cats dish, which he emptied at
once and made to shine again. Then all
the big cats followed his example
Then the small cats fluffed up to the
size of two apiece, and the maurauders
flattened their ears and crOuched against
the floor, and low sound pervaded the
Hall, which gradually grew louder. un-
til thunder-crack of spits and grOwls
made all the little maiden ladies jump
like SO many rubber balls. "Dotp Pep
perl" "Murdoc, you scOundrelp' Dim
pie, hushp and many other cries of
warning rose from the masters and mis-
tresses of the bright-eyed warriors, and
it was only the greedy and homeless
cats who went on slipping their milk,
without having a fit of Indigestion from
the excitement of the moment.
Now, ladies" called out Farmer Mark,
whose voice was always lOudest in any
public proceeding at Bing, "we're going
to have a Massacre of the Innocents
over again if these grimalkins cannot
be tied and cOllarea." And forthwith
the owners of the pussy population tried
to seize upon them, and didn't succeed.
On the contrary, it was no longer un-
known at Bing to have seen pussies
upon the tops of window-pOles for
there some of them were that day-un-
comfortable to be sure, but quite un-
willing to come down.
The only thing to do was to bring out
the kittens from their cages and boxes
and put them into a bushel basket in the
middle of the Hall. Thump! Down
dropped the anxious mammas from the
windOw-sashes, or whiskI out from un-
der the benches and table; wnereup0n
4 al
But now play was over and business
must begin.
Five nice old maiden ladies, to whom
were added Sims Grandmother and
Farmer Mark, were all to be umpires.
1t was arranged that every one was to
pass by the umpires single file, and the
pussies were to be weighed one by one
the finest of every kind put in a row be-
side each other and tied to chairs. The
umpires and the chairs were arranged
neatly upon the high platform, where
everybody could get the best view of
them, and the procession began. Per-
haps this was altogether a novel plan for
carrying out the intentions of the Show;
but in the country people do pretty
much as they fancy.
You may be sure Murdoc started first
in the procession, by Sims side, and was
a tri1e provoking in fit of terrible ia
tigue, which Oyercame him at every few
steps, so that he was obliged constantly
to sit down and look around him, with |
one eye shut and the other filled up with
a wink. OF course, the whole procession |
of cats, by the sides of their masters and |
and mistI esseS, had to stop for him to !
raf 70 nd hn Exra
tie maiden ladies scolded Farmer Mark |
every time this happened, as if such
big authoritative man as he was ought |
to be able to manage anything, even to
willy cat; but, if there is a thing that
will have its own way more than anoth-
er in this world, it is a cat. If you
speak coaxingly, a thoroughbred cat will
smile in your face and move its ears
and tail in friendly manner, making
believe that he's entirely missed the
point of your remarks and taken them
for a cheerful approval Of just what he's
doing. If you scold the same thorough
bred pussy, he will look at you as if you
were an angelic being, whom he is not
it to lap the boot-button of; but he's
made up his mind before not to give in,
and couldn't do that even for an angelic
being. And, if you slap a cat, as you
might dog. he becomes as wild as il a
Tiger was his nearest relative. Farmer
Mark, assure you, knew more than the
i've maiden ladies who seolded him for {
lot chastising Murdoc; for they had 7
troked and fed and coddled eats and {
Farmer Mark had been boy. L
So Murdoc did as he pleased; and,
Ia To hA Tlla aoA
ipon it with a nightly leap, and then
aides. In fact, he nearly upset the lit
lie woman, as you can imagine, and her ,
yes looked very white and her nose
rev very long with terror. Every one
tared in CONSERVATION while Murdoc
topped from one lap to another, with a
,eculiar cock of the eye and a determin- !
ID wave of his tail. "E-e -ehP squawi-
d the little ladies, and Sims Grand
mother shook her fist at her naughty but
plendid cat.
Now" said Farmer Mack, "we have :
rrived at one conclusion, and it is that
durdoc is the most impudent puss in
3ing"
"Pshawl" said Sims Grandmother to ,
his. "That cat would carry off the !
'rize in anything, as sure as there is )
dammoth Cave; and l suppose that no !,
ne will deny that it's that?" The scales
we're held up and fifteen-pound weight !
vas put on enc of them. Jump into it, T.
durdoc," continued his mistress. win A..
er afternoons will wait for nobody who
waits for aught; SO make haste, little )
'eauty"
Murdoc sat down on the bright brass I
late of the scales deliberately, as if he
we're made of French machinery, that
night snap If he hurried too much. I
Farmer Mark then lifted the great
Gales, with both hands, as high as he ]
ould and staggered with the tremen- ,
lous weight. while Murdoc went rapidly q
lown on his side, for he counted nearly l
wentv pounds Il WAS mora sWin0inp G