The Arizona sentinel., 1886-04-24
HOW TOM FOUND A HOME.
A Stroy in Words of One Syllable, for Very
 Young Readers.

''Oh, do look here, Maud,' said Aunt Kate, ''here is such nice big cat come to our house, and cook tells me he comes now each day, and she thinks he has not got home"
 Maud was just nine years of age, and was fond of cats, and dogs, and birds, and dolls.
 When she heard her aunt call her, she ran out at once, and there she found her aunt, who stood at the hall door, and on the top of the steps was the cat of which she spoke.
 He was fine large one, with a smooth coat in stripes of black and gray, but his paws were white, and he had a brown nose.
 "Oh, you dear catr' said Maud, and she bent down to stroke him. Fuss gave a new, and then a purr; for, of course, he was glad that Maud was kind to him.
 Aunt Kate, do let me keep this cat, and have him all for my own," she said.
 "We must see first," said Aunt Kate, eff we can find out where his own home is. for those who have lost him may want him back. But you may go and fetch him some mIlk.
 MauU ran OH, anu soon came DdCK with the milk, and gave it to the cat. He drank it all up, and then said Mew!" which meant: Please give me some more."
 "Yes, he may have some more, as he seems to want it so much, said Aunt Kate "He is a fine cat, and we must not let him starve."
 When he had done his milk, Maud took him up in her arms and brought him to small room where she kept her dolls and the toys she had to play with.
 "Now," said Aunt Kate, ''I want to write and read, and have lots of things to do. You must play with this nice old cat, snow him your dolls, be good to him, and think of some nice name we can call him by whilst he is with us;" and Aunt Kate went off and left Maud with puss.
 'Puss, puss! what shall we do" said Maud You go and look round the room and see if you think this will be nice home for you, and 1 will get one of my books and see what kind of name can choose for you.
 "Puss must be good cat, ;" thought Maud, for he did at once what she told him; went for walk round the room, smelt all the chairs, had look at a doll, which, poor thing, had had a fall on to the floor and hurt its head, and then he came and sat down in front of the fire to wash.
 "Now, puss, would you like us to call you Moll?" said Maud. "Moll, Moll!'' but puss paid no heed. "Well, then, do you like Fluff" But still puss did not turn his head. Such lots of names Maud thought of, but puss did not seem to like them.
 Soon Aunt Kate came back. "Oh! aunt" said Maud, do help me to find name that puss will like. He will not have Fluff, or Fritz, or Mon, or Kit, and lots more that I have thought of and told him."
 '.Come, then, I'll try what can do,' said Aunt Kate. Tom, Tomr' and as soon as she spoke this name, back went his ears, and ''Mewn said he. '.There, now, that is his true name, Maud; he knew it at once.
 And so from that time puss was known by the name of Tom.
 Aunt Kate did all she could to find out where he came from, but all in vain. So Maud was told she might have him now for her own, and how glad she was; and how kind she made up her mind she would be to him.
 Now Tom grew up to be such wise cat. I will just tell you one thing he learnt to do.
 One night, quite late, Maud had gone to bed, and Aunt Kate took book and sat down by the fire to read. The room she was in was close to the hall door Soon she heard a knock at the door, but she did not pay much heed to it at first; but when she heard it twice she did think she must go and see who it could be, for both her maids were gone to bed. And who do you think it was? Why, Tom, who came in with purr and new, and his tail straight up in the air.
 Now, must tell you Aunt Kate's hall door was half glass, and low down, where it was wood, there was round brass ring, with which one had to knock And Tom had stood on his hind legs, and with one of his paws took hold of the brass ring and then let it fall, so as to make it knock.
 And the strange thing is, that when he found he was let in this time, he did it now and then when it was ccld or wet out of doors, and Maud soon knew Toms knock, and would run to let him in.
 Tom, then, is great pet, and