The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1883-12-19
THE CAT.
a Glowing Tribute 10 the Excellent
Qualities or an Animal or Ancient
and Honorable Lineage.

hold members, the dog and the cat. one is
of a sychophantic and transparent nature,
fawning for notice, and AFFECT under whip
ping; reads to lick the hand that smites,
ana 10 do grateful antics a. soon as the rod
Is LAID down, but yet having an attach
p,ent and fidelity which ilatter the domi-
Mating nature OF man. and gain the ailec-
ton OF women and children. A notable
fact Il that although dogs brought up in
rich households are surly to poor people,
vet poverty docs not ALLEVIATE them In their
own households, while IL makes their at
fschment better appreciated. Thus dog,,
like children. are the peculiar blessings
OF the poor.
The other OF these beasts Is OF mysteri-
Gus, dignihed, self-contented nature,
counting no notice, revealing no emotion,
receiving all caressing as q Just tribute to
merit. submissive 10 no cbastsement. dig
Bifiedly resenting all abuse, having the
courage OF entire confidence in ability to
take care OF itself, as impassive almost as
any other OF the lares and pcnates, and yet
with sn air which has created the belief
that IL Is a being Of mysterious knowledge
attached TO the household, and particularly
to the house. and yet with an air OF pro-
tecting divinity, 70 which all caressins and
service are only the proper tribute.
Thus this creature bears double char
acter--one as a familiar household animal.
with propensity for mice, canary birds,
and " such small DEER" the other as II
mysterious being. having strange relations
TO spirits Of good and evil, to witches, to
fate, and to many things good and wicked.
The nature OF the mind is to think more
Of the wicked; but all that runs in popular
tradition OF the cat, such as her stealing to
the cradle and sucking the sleeping baby's
breath. arc ridiculously unfounded. As
TO the popular belief that the cat has nine
lives, 1t has some color in the popular be-
lief in all ages that the cat has relations
with the beings called spirits, and that it
haunts the cat-sayer.
The fancy fills the unknown with won
ders, and Of the cat ii must be said that
Of all animals il is the most mysterious.
A combination OF the springiest muscles,
it has ever the air OF repose. Instantly
discerning everything about, IL has the
manner OF observing nothing. The cleo.
tricity in its fur Is another mysterious pro-
perry. II has always the look Of contem-
plation and contentment. Yet this crea-
tune, that prefers the chimney corner by
day, and the warm side OF everything, sal
lies out into the cold night. and, for aught
we know, may be mounted on the shout
der OF a witch as she rides through the air
on her broomstick to some rendezvous Of
her kind. Or the cat may be merely
bent on social converse, her natural
modesty preferring the veil Of night.
Many are wont to say they hate cats, and
think they commend themselves, and that
they add thereto by saying they love dogs.
THIS Is because the cat is above their
understanding, and because the dog fawns
upon them. The cat has a place in ira
dition, religion, and literature which lifts
ii into sphere high above the dog, whose
name, from time mmenorial, though very
unjustly, has been ignominous. The law
OF Moses forbids The price OF dog and The
hire OF pious woman for an act of impro-
priety to be brought TO the sanctuary as
gifts. Although unjust, this shows that
the dog has always been regarded as
common beast. whilst the cat is Of high
lineage.
The cat is the principal performer in
many stories OF folk lore. 1t Is associated
with religious rites as well as with those
OF witches. The learned Egyptians wor-
shipped the cat as the Goddess Pasht-tbe
name evidently taken from the feline
speech. "Thrice the brinded cat hath
say the Macbeth witches when
working up catastrophe. Nohammcd
had a favorite eat named Muczza-the
name clearly derived from the cat language,
which he treated with high consideration.
Probably this, and not the dove that
whispered in his ear, inspired the Koran.
The cat has more language than any other
beast but man. The Able Gallant studied
this tongue. and detected more than
twenty different infections. and was GER
tain that the cat always uses the same sound
to express the same thing. Cats sIlrpass
all animals in singing with words, and their
entrails are used for the principal musical
instrument which gives D sound sympa-
thetically suggestive OF its source.
Cats have q high place in heraldry, and
races and clans have sbeen named after
them. The Gaelic name OF the Duchess
OF Sutherland means " the great lady OF the
cat" Speaking OF its independence,
Champheury says: "Man has sought the
society OF The cat; il is not the cat that has
sought the society of man." Said Cham
fort "The cat does not caress us: it ca
resses itself on as" Dupont. Nemours
thought that the more extensive view
which cats take Of the world from house
tops gives them higher character and
more language than dogs have. Among
the other ii.ustr,ous friends to cats are
Victor Hugo, Theophile Gautier, Prosper
Merimee, Chatau5riand, Cardinal Wosey,
Richelieu. The popular belief that the
devil often puts on the form Of black cat
no more condemns cats than the fact that
he often takes on the form OF beautiful
woman condemns all beautiful and be-
witchiBg women.
One of the highest testimonies to the in
teresting character OF cats is that lone sin
gle women are attached to them. Many OF
them have made testamentary acknow-
iedgment by requests 10 found cat retreats
and by legacies TO fayOrite eats. Not only
has the cat more language than other beasts,
but 1t obviously understands human
speech. An unjust feeling is entertained
against II because Of its liking for canary
birds; but this game propensity proves its
high rank, for the game propensity is
thought the noblest part Of man.
- The mystery OF the eats character is
probably the cause OF a vulgar antipathy,
but this Is due to ignorance. The cat is
not bound 10 furnish understanding in
order to avoid prejudice. II is too high
minded TO care. Many benevolent persons.
fearful Of the multiplication of the house.
hold cat, drown her kittens. So, from
limited trust in Providence. many suppress
populating. Some elegant families take
bag OF kittens and distribute them in their
drives. ii they would let the mother cat
alone she would provide for them without
such cruelty. eat blessed with large
Hitter does not settle 1t on the family. At a
proper time she will place her kittens
among the neighbors, showing great dis
cernment Dy her choice OF places. ard they
great intelligence by remaining as placed.
society mother does not practice more
consideration In finding husbands for her
nine daughters than 4 mother eat in find
ing situations for her nine kittens. She
wiz return to play with each, and then