The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1883-03-03

Douglas was the largest, and he was at ieaH
six f. ct high.
He stood on his hind legs and picked Freddy
mp with his fOrc-paws, holding HIM head
downward, and Squeezing him intentionally
Poor little thingi Dear little thingr' sui
Douglas in soothing voice, AMI rubbing
come out in the yard and play
And out into the yard he marched, swinging
| Freddy 10y one leg. In vain Freddy squirmed
and screamed. His screams sounded To him
| like faint mewing, and he was powerless in
| those great paws.
Douglas sat down in the swing. and, holding
Fl eddy, still upside down in his arms, begun
| swinging and singing. The motion and posi-
| ton together made Freddy dreadnlly sick
| and dizzy. but he had never fols so utterly
helpless in his life, so he lay still. except for
| faint moan now aud then, Although be
tremblcd to think what might haTr next, he
| was tn lnkful when Douglas suddenly jumped
| up and handed him TO Mint saying
| " It's your turn now; WEI better not be too
| long about it, for fear he should wake before
we've all b ld chance mt him.
| " I'm not going TO take my turn, thank
YOU, and Mint put him gently on the ground,
| and ,lded her paws
"How is this?' said Douglas, sternly; "you
| voted as the rest did"
al know it, said Mint, ."but forgot how he
went across the yard and halfway down the
lane, after dark, to pick me some catnip that
night ] was i'll, because Aunt Nancy said it
might cure me. II did cur me, and ingrati-
| "You IRE excused" said Douglas. "Nextw
| Lady Blanche stepped forward and picked
Freddy up in her soft white p rvs. lie
| wondered what she would find t. do to him,
| for. 50 far us could rem smber, he had al
WAYS been kind to her-she was so pretty and
| ladylke.
| pulling a / andful IF colored ribbons from q
pocket in her fur, began t. tie his hair mp in
| little points. She pulled very hard, and each
mosQu to-bites but he talked to him gently, in
a soft, purr ng voice, all the time she was doing
it, telling him how becoming it was, and oc-
| cgsorally stopping to stroke him. shrek
of laughter from the other cats greeted her
, finished work. and then Peter the Great came
| eagerly To- ward, eXClaiming:
- It's my turn now! I've cot the walnut
| shells all ready!' And turning Freddy on his
| back, Peter squeezed his hands and feet into
| walnut-shels that were much too tight Tor
them, and then put him down on all fours, and
told him to walk Spanish" Every time
| Freddy tried TO rise, or even TO roll over, Peter
grasped him. and set him down on his bands
and feet again. Each step he took was sepa-
rate pain; the sh lis seemed to grow tighter
every minute, but justas he thought he could
not bear 1t u moment longer Douglas said,
ste,nly: ,-,,
Then Peter the small advanced, and without
saying word, picked up Frediy's feet, thus
obigin@ him to walk on his hands. Although
Freddy had managed desperately to pull Off
the wHlnut-s shells before his next prosecutor
began he d not enjoy being "wneel-nap-
rowed about the yard, his legs firmly held,
and his arms and hands compelled to..uStain
his whole weight Peter went faster and faster,
and Freddy, afraid to stop moving his hand,
was breath rss with fatigue be .ore he once
more heard Douglas say:
"Time up! NrXt" TIL S time he added:
"As he begins to show signs of waking The
six kittens can MI go ut h m ut once"
With skiold NEW of del gh the kit ems
fell upon him, the oldest eNclamiug;
"We'll make him walk tight-ropo first
stretch the cloth slime, some of your
Five pairs of willing paws stretched the
clothes-lina between two posts, aud Freddy
was set upon it and left there, unstcadily bal
nnCing himself many feet from the ground.
w tn faint hope of gain ny the nearest post
and sliding down it, he set out on 5 perlous
journey, with trembling feet and sw nm ng
head. He wavercd-he was almost gone, and
a savage hiss arose from the cat audience
A few inches farther h. crept, waving his
arms W Idly, and thcn-he fell.
1t was not only dream-fall, either. his
feet went into the irving pan, he rolled from
the shelf, and walked splutteringand choEing
with his head in the little tub of brine which
Aunt Nancy had that morning mixed for hei
pickles.
The kettle was boiling over, and the water
Kissed angr y on the stove.
He struggled to his feet, Just ms his mother
anu Aunt Nancv, each having heard the com
motion, came in ut di ent doors.
40 mammal! he cried, running into hi
mothers arms, " save me from he cats! III
; deed, indeed, III never tease them or hur
them any more"
Little by little, Freddy was convinced tina
he h d been dreaming, nut his dream had beer
so terribly vivid and real that he never forgo
il. He was very gentle with them n ter that
but particularly tender ana ahectlonate u
Mint
she was the only one of them all who
ddnt help to torment me, m mma, h. wonlC
| say-for his m, Their had agreed to pretend
that it had all really happened" and I wa
just because I'd been | tile k nd to her, only
once. OH, think cats are great deal bette
than boys--that 5 most cats than most boys"
t --AdJguct |andeJrVt, IN YOUTHS Companion