Waterbury evening Democrat., 1889-11-08
MARIA LANES WISDOM.
A Cat Which Gould Put Two and
 Two Together.
Despite Her Ordinary Looks She Proves 2 Strategist of No Mean Order How "Little Calico" Got Into the Gel
 lar-InteIlicence Rewarded.

There is a family living in house near Union Square who think they have the ''cutest" cat ill town, and, says the New
 York Tribune, they also think they can show good reason for the faith that is in them. Tho name of their wonder is plain, everyday Maria Jane. She has an ordinary coat of black and white fur, and there is nothing in her face or appearance to dis tinguish her from any other we'll behaved black and white cat. But all the same Maria Jane has a great head, as a single anecdote will show.
 Maria had litter of kittens the other day, and she was compelled to keep them ont of the house, which is also not remark able. Still, it is in connection with this fact that the story of Maria Jane's great head
 work comes in. On one of the recent cool days Maria wanted to bring her young ones indoors and set them down in front of the kitchen range, where they would be much more cozy and comfortable. But Maria knew well enough that this was against the rules. She had tried it several times before and each time had the door shut in her face. Nevertheless she meant to get them in by some hook or crook, apparently thinking that once they were landed in the kitchen they would be allowed to remain there. Once more the old adage, ''Where there's l q will, there's way" held good. It had been noticed that Maria had been quite un- easy all the morning, and when she scratched at the cellar door, as she was wont to do when she wished to have it opened, no importance was attached to the l move by her mistress, who happened to be in the kitchen. In a minute, however, Maria came running up the cellar stairs with one of her kittens in her mouth, which she deposited in front of the fire. There was no mistake about it. It was a little "calico'' cat and was the only one of that kind in the litter. If ever a cat purred and pleaded for one of her offspring, Maria Jane dld on this occasion. But it was all to | no purpose. Discipline had to be main l tained and the youngster was gently but firmly sent back to its companions.
 l At the same time If Maria's intiexible mis- l tress had known at that moment what she
 learned little later, her heart would cer- tainly have melted. Immediately after ''Little Calico,'' as the kitten was called, 1 had been disposed of, an investigation was 1 started and the whole household turned 1 out to assist. Every nook and cranny of the cellar was explored, but no more kit 1 tens were found. The next question in l order was to find out how ''Little Calico 1 got there in the first place. It was evident l enough that he was never brought in l through any of the regular means of en- trance and exit. Not only were they most
 carefully guarded by the servants, but | Maria would have stopped in the kitchen | with her charge instead of taking him all l the way down cellar and then bringing him l back. Yet no one could tell how or where
 the little fellow got in. Therefore the mind l of Maria's mistress, who was one of these
 wellmeaning and amiable domestic terrors l known as a ''good house keeper" was filled l with dlsquieting visions of that motherly
 tabby smuggling into the house an endless
 procession ot kittens who would require an | endless amount of ''bouncing.n
 l Suddenly it occurred to her that she had | seen Maria at tho cellar grating, and the | investigation was at once adjourned to that | spot. Then for the first tune the full mag | niticence of her pets strategy dawned upon | her in all of it's ingenuity and cunning. It | seemed to come as close to putting two and | two together as an animal often gets. Un-
 dcrneath the grating was 8 square we'll | hole such as cellars ordinarily have, but 1t | ended with dirt bottom about half the dis | tancc to the cellar floor, which was perhaps
 nine feet below the kitchen. One corner of
 thls grating had been broken off and the
 triangular hole thus formed was large | enough to pass q rabbit through, to say
 nothing of a kitten. That discovery showed
 plainly enough how the trick was done.
 ''Little Calico" and his brethren were all too small to walk or crawl there, and Maria
 must have carried the pioneer one there in
 her mouth, and then dropped it through the
 grating upon the soft dirt at the bottom. Then it was easy enough to go down into
 the cellar, climb up to the bottom of the
 well-hole, and get the kitten that was roost- ing there.
 Although her adroit scheme was frus-
 trated, Maria did not go unrewarded. Her
 mistress felt proud of her and gave her a special treat with her midday meal. She
 went out for the biggest saddle rock oyster to be got, and Maria had feast, eating it off the half shell. This made her feel so happy that she went out in the back yard and cuffed her kittens all around their box. just for exercise. .t
 NIlARED THO hLEAn