The new North-west. [volume] (Deer Lodge, Mont.) 1869-1897, 1882-12-22
A TERROR TO CATS.
The Bad Boy Makes Things Lively for
Church Committee.


pa says anything, 1t gives me new idea.
tell you pa has got great brain, but some
times he don't have 1t with him. When he
said was terror to cats, l thought what |
fun there Is in cats, and me and my chum |
went to stealing cats right of, and before |
night We had eleven cats Gagged. We had
one In canary bird cage, three In pas old
hat boxes, three In mas bandboxes, four in
valises, two In trunk, and the rest In
closet up stairs. That night pa said he
wanted me to stay at home because the COM
mittee that Is going to get up an oyster sup
per in the church was going to meet at our
house, and they might want to send me on
errands. / asked him If my chum couldn't
stay too, cause he Is the healthest infant to
run after errands that ever was, and pa said
lie could stay, but We must remember that
there mustn't be no monkey business going
on. told him there should've be no mon
key business, but didn't promise nothing
abou. the eats. Well, sir, you'd a dide.
The committee was In the library, by the
back stairs, and me and my chum got the
cat boxes altogether at the top of the stairs,
and We took them all out and put them in a
clothes basket, and just as the minister was
speaking, and telling what great good was
done by these oyster sociables, in bringing
the young people together, and taking their
minds from the wlckedness of the world, and
turning their thoughts into different chan
nels, one of the old tom-cats in the basket
hat lilo thu
wall of lost soul or challenge to battle. I
told my chum that we couldn't hold the
bread board over the clothes basket much
longer, when two or three cats began TO
yowl, and the minister stopped talking, and
pa told ma to open the stair door and tell the
hired girl to see what was the matter up
there. She thought our cat had got shut up
| in the storm door, and she opened the stair
door TO yell at the girl, and then l pushed
the clothes basket, cats and all, down the
back stairs. Well, sir. Is'pose no committee
for An oyster supper was ever more aston
ished. heard ma fall over willow rocking
chair and say "scat," and l heard pa say
"Well, I'm damd," and girl who sings In
the choir say Heaven, am stabbed" and
then my chum and me ran to the front of the
house and came down the front stairs look
| ing as innocent as could be, and We went into
the library, and was just going to tell pa IT
there was any errands he wanted run my
chum and me was just aching to run Them,
when . yellow cat without any tail was
walking over the minister, and pa was
throwing hassock at two cats that were
clawing each other under the piano, and ma
was trying to get her frizzes back on her
head, and the choir girl was standing on the
lounge with her dress pulled up trying to
scare cats with her striped stocking, and the
minister was holding his hands up, and /
guess he was asking blessing on the cats,
and my chum opened the front door and all
the catsswent off. Pa and ma looked at me,
and hid |. wasn't me, and the minister
wanted to know how so much cat hair got or
my coat and vest, and said q cat met me in
the hall and kicked me, and ma cried, ant
pa said that beats he'll, and the minister sale
I would be all right II had been properly
brought up, and then ma was mad and th'
1 committee broke up. Well, to tell the hon
est truth, pa basted me and yanked MI
around till had to have my arm in sling
but what's the use Of making such a fus
about few cats Ma said she never wante'
to have any company again, cause spoile
, everything. Bat got even with pa for bast
ing me, this morning, and dassent go home
You see, ma has got great big bath sponge
! as big as chair cushion. and this morning
{: took the sponge and filed Il with warm Wa
ter, and took the feather cushion out of th
=. chair pa sits in at the table, and put tn
r sponge In its place, and covered 1t over wit
the cushion cover, aud when we all got 81
o down to the table pa come In and set dow
r on 1t to ask blessing. He started in b
Q closing his eyes and placing his bands |
= = front of him like letter V, and then he b
/. gan to ask that the food we are about to pa
u take of be blessed and then he was going on'
y ask that all of US be made TO see the error
our ways, when he began to hitch round, al
u he opened one eye and looked at me, Al
> I looked - pious As boy can look when
D. knows the pancakes are getting cold, and !
" he kind Of sighed and said 'Amen" sort
g snappish, and he got up and told ma he d
~ MT feel well, and she would have to take
place and pass around the sassidge and p
tatoes, and he looked kind of scarf and We
- = out with his hand on his pistol pocket,
N though he would like to shoot, and ma q
Ie got up and went around and sat In pas cha
I'd The sponge didn't hold more than half
pail Of water, and l'didn't want TO play
D. Joke on ma, cause the cats nearly broke
40 up, but she sat down and was just going
a help me when she rung the bell and cali
the hired girl, and said she felt as thou
her neuralgia was coming on and she wou
20 to her room, and told the girl to nit 10,
h and help Hennsry. The girl sat down a
Ia. poured me out Some coffee, and then .
or said Howly Saint Patrick, but blavs tho
an pancakes are burning" and she went out
n. the kitchen. drank my coffee, and th
m took the big sponge out Of the chair and !
10. the cushion In the place of 1t, and then |
en the sponge In the bath room, and then we
Of up to pa aud mas rooms, aud asked them
~ I should 60 after the doctor, and pa b
he changed his clothes and got on his Sund
d. pant, and he said Never mind the doctor
,er guess We will pull through" and for me
ye get out and 60 to the devil, and / came o,
i'll here. Say, there Is no harm in little wa
lie water, Ii there? Well, Id like to KIN,
m what ma and pa and the girl thought. l 1
rie the only real healthy one there Is In Q
ror family.
he
al Thrifty Servants.
Mt
ers Nec York Tribune.