The prison mirror. [volume] (Stillwater, Minn.) 1887-1894, 1891-12-17

was the sworn enemy Of mice and rats, and
would uncomplainingly work overtime. OF on legal
holidays, to keep the Office clear of them. The
sound made by a mouse in trying to eat his way
through partition wall was gnawing to her,
and she would get up at any hour of the night.
with the thermometer away below Zero to put
stop to it. She used to sleep in a discarded
waste basket that stood in the corner of the room
near my desk. During the two years edited the
paper her home was never disturbed by the office
boy when he swept. He was a very mild. man
nered boy. and in sweeping seldom disturbed
anything to noticeable degree. From her posi-
ton she could and hear all that went in
the office. and having her eyes and ears open. she
soon acquired q thorough knowledge of my affairs.
She soon became acquainted with all of the pa
irons of the paper. and could at glance tell
if visitor was a friend or foe. She would closely
watch the expression on my face, and if it was
kindly. she would gently purr about the caller.
and cuddle up to him in such a carressing manner
as would make him friend to institution. If.
on the contrary the visitor bore whose
presence wished to be rid of. slight scowl from
me would cause her to make a scratching post Of
his limbs, and his long. dreary story would be
broken off in the middle. and his call speedily ter
minated. 1t was remarkable with what unerring
accuracy she could identify spring poet. Even
before he had reached the apartment she would
exhibit great uneasiness, and wild, unnatural
look would overspread her usually pleasant
countenance. But the moment the poet entered the
door and began unrollng his manuscript she be-
came possessed of tearing fit. With unearthly
yowls she would dash about the office. run up the
poets back and so demean herself as to make stout
men tremble with fear. The simple statement, "a
mad cat.'' was quite enough to hurry poet out Of
sight and hearing. The cat used to watch me out of
the corner of her eyes and drink in every word
spoke. And she knew when 1 spoke the truth,
too. Whenever any of my patrons asked me how
much of a circulation my paper had, 1 never
would answer until put her out and shut the
door. She learned to tell politician at sight
and when ofice-seeker would call on me-a
man whom would support only because felt it
was my conscientious duty to do she got M
she would voluntarily leave the room until the
transaction had been completed and the amount
agreed upon had been paid over to me. Then she
would return, softly singing, HE Never Came
Back" or something else equally as innocent. I
began to think that cat knew almost every thing.
and if the public could have understood her
did, would not have been afraid to have left my
paper in her charge while went my annual
vacation trip. One morning she invited my atten-
tion TO the fact that there three little
brindled kittens in the basket with her. Then 1
felt even more kindly toward her than ever, but
about the time the kittens old enough to do
for themselves something happened that changed
the whole course of my life. The cat that had
been my friend. my companion and my coun-
sell; the cat that had passed almost unscathed
through hundred fierce fights, and had lodged
innumerable bootjacks and pieces of stovewood;
that cat finally met an ignominious death,
not at all in keeping with the lofty life she had
led One evening, about the hour of going to press,
she looking about the composing room to see
| if the forms were about made up, when the Office
| towel. which for ages had been standing in the
corner. fell across her in such way to break
her back. The news of her death unnerved me, for
felt that without her my efforts to make news
paper would be in vain, SO quit the profession,
and am now preparing myself to become a mis-.
sionary.-Nixon Waterman in The Inland Printer.