The Maryville times. (Maryville, Tenn.) 1884-1944, 1889-10-02
A BLIND CAT.
How His Other Senses Made Up for Los
of Sight-A Story Founded on Fact.

How His Other Senses Made Up for Los
of sIght-A Story Founded on Fact.
Poor Tom was only four years old
when he lost his sight. He had no
faults, unless his habit OF fighting
every strange cat that came our way
be counted as one. But he was noble
fellow. and we were all very sorry
when he went blind.
At first he could not tell what had
happened to him. He couldn't move a
few feet without knocking himself
against table or chair, and he
would sit and new till it grew painful
to listen to him. If he climbed up the
garden wall, as he sometimes did, he
had to be helped down. for he was un-
able to find safe jumping-place. II
his name were called out, he wandered
aimlessly to and fro in search of the
speaker. Indeed, he seemed SO plain
ly unhappy that it began seriously to
be considered whether it would not be
a mercy to kill him and end his mis-
cry.
All at once a change came over him.
He appeared to have felt that his sight
had gone forever, and that its other
senses would have to make up for it's
loss. When he started to 60 down
stairs, instead Of paving the air help.
lessly, as he had hitherto done. he
proceeded to the side, and, guided by
the touch of his whiskers on the rail-
ings, went down safely at full speed.
Then he studied all the different paths,
noted the position OF doors, visited his
old haunts, and in short while be-
came quite confident Of his ability to
go about with nearly the same free
dom as before. In fact, we thought
his sight had been restored, but that
this was not the case was easily proved
when he ran fulltilt against an obstacle
that had been placed in his way on
purpose to test this very point
What was curious was that he soon
resumed his fighting habits, and his
blindness seldom prevented him from
coming off victor. He even carried
war into the enemy's quarters, and
always returned home in safety. He
had been capital mouser, and, though
sightless, he proved himself almost az
keen a hunter as ever. The gnawing
of a rat was heard one night in a cup
board where some newspapers lay,
Tom was to be left there to attack the
foe. While arranging the papers my
hand was suddenly tiercely clutched by
his teeth and claws. The poor fellow
had heard the rustling of the paper.
and had seized what he supposed was
q mouse. But he seemed to feel real
shame at the mistake he had made.
Howeve there was no blunder later
on that same night, for on opening the
cupboard next morning he was sitting
by the side Of big dead rat.
No matter how far he strayed from
home, Tom always took the shortest
cut back. 1t was mystery to me
how he managed it. One day there
was a heavy fall Of snow that CON-
pletely covered all familiar objects,
filled up the pathways, and deadened
every sound and smell. Carrying Tom
to considerable distance, and follow
ing a serpentine track of many turns
to bewilder him. then put him down
on snow-heap, and watched his be-
havior.
He lost presence OF mind for min.
ute or two, and commenced to new
somewhat pitifully. Finding, how
ever, that he would have TO do the
best he could for himself, he stopped
crying, paused for few moments, and
then went in a straight line over the
untrodden snow to the house. o.
course the door was opened to him al
once. and he was RECALLED with bowl
of milk.
1t quickly became clear to me that
in Toms case at least, blind cat leads
much the same life as a cat that car
see. His adventures were In no way
different from what they had been be
fore, but his later career had grown
more interesting, because it wal
curious to watch the various methods
he adopted for getting out of diff
ficulties. You will. am sure, dea
, gently with animals afflicted will
, blindness. or any other ailment tina
makes them helpless.
have only to add that Tom was
, real cat. though l have changed hi
, name, and that this is a true accoun
of his history after he had lost hi
q. sight Little Folks.
The lamentation is heard almos
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