The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-02-08

| She listened in solemn enjoyment to the stereo-
typed prayers and the speakers remarks. He
was dull, middle-aged preacher in dull
country town.
After meeting, Ann went up and told him how
much she had enjoyed his remarks, and inquired
after his wife and children. She always did.
| To her a minister was an unpublished apostle,
| and his wife and family set apart on the earth.
No matter how dull parson labored here,
ne would always have one disciple in this old
woman.
When Arm had walked home through the frosty
| starlight she lit her lamp first, and then she
called her cat She had expected to find him
waiting to be let in, but he was not She stood
out on her little piazza, which ran along the rear
corner of her house by her kitchen-door, and
called, ''Willyl Willy! Wiliy!"
She thought every minute she would see him
come bounding around the corner, but she did
not. She called over and over and over in her
shrill, anxious pipe ''Willy Willy! Willy!
Finally she went into the house and waited
awhile, crouching, shivering with cold and nerv-
BUSINESS, over the kitchen stove. Then she went
outside and called again, willy! Willyl Willy!'
bling, her dull old ears alert, her dim old eyes
strained. She ran out to the road, and looked
and called, and down to the dreary garden patch
behind the house, among the wlthered corn stalks
and the moldering squash vines all white with
frost Once her heart leaped; she thought she
saw Willy coming; but it was only black cat
which belonged to one of the neighbors. Then
she went into the house and waited alittle while;
then out again, calling shrilly 'Willyl Willy!
Willy!"
There were northern lights streaking the sky;
the stars shone steadily through the rosy glow;
1t was very still, and lonesome, and cold The lit
tie, thin shivering oldlwoman standing outdoors,
all alone in the rude chilly night air, under these
splendid stars and streaming lights, called over
| and over and over the poor little creature which
was everything earthly she had to keep her com
pany in the great universe in which she herself
was small.
willy! Willyl WillyP' called Ann "Oh,
where is that cat2 Oh. dear! Willy. Willy"
She spent the night that way Mrs. Stones
daughter Ruth, who was up with a sick child,
heard her.
miss Millett must have lost her cat she told
her mother in the morning; II heard her calling
him all night long"
Pretty soon, indeed, Ann came over, her small.
old face wild and wan ''Hev you seen anything
of Willy?" she asked. HES been out all night,
an I'm afraid somethin's happened to him. I
never knowed him to stay out SO before"
When they told her they had not, she went on
to the next neighbours to inquire. But no one
had seen anything of the cat. All that day and
night, at intervals, people heard her plaintive,in in
curing call, willy! Willy! Willy! Willy"
The next Sunday Ann was not out to church.
1t was a beautiful day, too.
I'm goin' to run over an see eft Ann Millets
sick, Mrs. Stone told her daughter, when she
returned from church. 'She want out to meet
in today and I'm afraid somethin's the matter
never knew her to miss goin,."
So she went over. Miss Millet was sitting in
her little wooden rocking chair in her kitchen
when she opened the door,
why, Ann Millet, are you sick2"
mo- amt sick"
''You want out to meetin', an didn't know
II amt never goin' to meetn agin."
"Why, what do you meanP
Mrs. Stone dropped into q chair, and stared at
her neGhbor
II mean just what say. / amt never goin' to
meetin' agin Folks go to meetin to thank the
Lord fur blessin's, l s'pose. I've lost mine, an
amt goin'."
What hev you lost. Amir
''Aint lost Willy9'
you don't mean to say you're maxim such a
fuss as this over caten
Mrs. Stone could make good deal of disap-
probation and contempt manifest in her pale,
high featured face, and she did now.
YES do.n
"Well, 'ain't nothin' aein cats, but I must
say I'm beat Why, Ann Miflet it's downright
sinful fur yen to feel so. Of course you set
good deal by Willy; but it amt as eff he was a
human creature Cats is cats. For ray part l
never thought it was right to set by animals as
eff they was babies"
II can't hear what you say"
u never thought it was right to set by ami
mails as eff they was babies"
II don't keer. It's comfortin' to have live
creatures about You, an amt never he'd any
L
my own sence I kin remember. Pve worked
hard all my 1ife an he'd nothin' at all to love,
an I've thought / orter be thankful all the same.
But did want as much as cat"
''Wel, as said before I've nothin' agin cats.
But don't understand any human bein' with an
immortal soul a-settin SO much by one"
Il can't hear what you say" Ann could
usually hear Mrs. Stones high voice withoutan
difficulty, but to day she seemed deafer.
II don't understand any human bein' with an
m q a
you've got folks, Mis- Stone"
~ know hev; but folks is trials sometimes.
Not that my children are. though. I've got
good deal to be thankful for I'll own, in that
was one to sink down so under any trial. l
thought the Lord would be a comfort to you"
II know ali that, Mis- Stone But when it
comes to it I'm here, an amt thar; an I've got
hands, an / want somethin' kin touch" Then
the poor soul broke down. and sobbed out loud,
like baby: II ainit-never felt as eff I'd orter
begretch other-women their homes and their
folks. thought phaps-I could get along bet
ter without 'em than-some an the Lord knowed
it, an SEEM thar want enough to go round, He
gave em to them that needed 'em most ain't
--never-felt-as eff I'd orter complain. But
-cats-enough. / might q hed-that
much"
"You kin git another cat, Ann. Mis- Maxwelrs
got some real smart kittens an know she wants
to git rid of 'em."
II don't want any of Mis- Maxwells kittens. /
don't never want any other cat"
"P'haps yourn will come back. Now don't take
on So"
"What2p
"P'haps yourn will come backs
NO he won't I'll never see him agin. I've
felt Jest that way about it from the first Some
body's stole him, or he's been p'soned an crawled
away an died, or he's been shot for mis- fur. /
heerd thar was o boy over the river maxim
a catskin kerridge blanket, an I went over
thar an asked him, an he said he hadn't never
shot cat like Willy. But don know Boys
amt brought up any too strict. Ihope he spoke
the TRUTH
"Hark! declar thought heard a cat NEW
somewhar But guess didn't don't hear
it now. Well. I'm sorry, Ann s'pose I've got
to go; thars dinner to git, an the babys consid-
er'ble fretty today. Why, Ann Millet whars
your sauashes2"
nWhat2"
.'Where are your squashesP
II throwed 'em away out in the Aeld Willy