The morning call., 1891-09-20


in the HOTseman, and
it took only a moment for the happen
ing but when it was over l found my
self in rather compromising situation Tor
woman opposed to either pOodles or pet
cats. # was on Clark street. and in the
busiest time of the day. ClaSped to my
breast. with its head tucked under my arm
and its tail nearly as big as a feather duSter,
was wee black kitten. with eyes Ike
scared baby's. and a slender little body that
trembled like vibrant chord. The thought
Of putting it down and leaving il to its fate
presented itself, but in some absurd way
certain verse in the Bible tangled itself up
with the present dilemma until l could
think Of nothing else. "Inasmuch rs We
have done il unto the least Of these" the
words ran, and could there be anything in
all the world so least" as this mite of a
kitten? So [ bundled il up in a corner OF
my jacket and moved on my way down the
crowded street, resolved to see the poor little
thing safely out of the reach of its tor
mentor anyway, and after dropping 1t in
some quiet dooryaTd to hurry on with
good conscience to catch my train. But no
quiet dooryard presented Itself, and every
time | tried To loosen the cOnvuislve strain
of the tiny claws they chung the harder. and
such look Of human beseeching came into
the topaz eyes that / simply could not desert
the kitten As l had the usual complement
OF bundles on deck Qor the man Is not yet
born who has ever encountered Amber"
on the streets without her eleven parcels) it
was no easy matter TO manage scared
kitten without Strewing the path behind me
in the attempt with articles ranging all the
way from hair-pius and personal CORE
SpOndence up to peaches for supper and
yeast-cakes. The passage through the tun-
mel was enlivened by piercing cries from
my historical charge, who, for some reason
best known to herself, seemed more
afraid Of the darkness and the COM
paratiye quiet than of the glare and hustle
of open day. In the eyes of the
other passengers on the cable l was a
lunatic, l well knew, but the ordeal was
soon past, and l and the cat found our
selves safely seated in the suburban train,
the worst part las we confidently believed)
Of the trip accomplished. But with the first
revolution Of the wheels the anguish of the
kitten seemed to increase, until by the time
we were well under way it was a ueck-to-
neck contest as to which should get under
the seat first, 1t from terror or | from EN-
barrasSment | could feel people laughing
at me all the way through the crowded car,
and, knowing how prone humanity Is to
Judge from appearances, | had no doubt bat
that every body was taking me for an old
maid travelling with pet cat When the
conductor came to punch my ticket there
was an ''et IT, etc, expression TO his eyes
&hat led NE to believe that he thought | had
"
thing whispered to my inner consciousness
that the kitten was full of heas, and l began
slowly bat surely to experience the pangs of
being deVoured alive. There was not par
ticle OF flesh that did not curl and cringe
upon nv bones. The grasp | WAS obliged to
keep on the corner of the garment that en-
yelOped the cat had already parayZed my
right hand, and there was buzZng in MY
ears that might mean anything, but doubt
less did mean insanity. | thought | would
~ a. n q
vision StTaightWaY presented itself Of the
poor little frightened thing being ground
under the wheels of the train, and again that
verse about ''nasmuch" and the least be-
gan to hum in my ears Finally, from sheer
exhaustion, the tiny creature curled down
in its close quarters and commenced to blink
lis eyes in involuntary slumbeT. Every few
moments they would open like croeus buds
and blink at me, like those same yellow
blossoms in the rain, and they seemed to
say, Il trust you" so plainly that think
could have quite as readily picked pocket
as have then and there deserted my little
cat. Arriving home the question presented
itself to every aghast member of the family,
what should be done with it? 1t couldn't
sleep ia the wOOdshed, because the original
household grimalkin slept there, and at the
sight Of the black addition /: eVineed
q serious desire to chew it up
on the spot. 1t couldn't be domiciled in the
house. because the one who presides Mt the
head of the housekeeping departme MT
vowed she wouldn't have il. and when she
puts her foot down it means business in
seven counties. ''Pll tell you," said the
doctor, well take turns sitting up with it
on the back stoOp. There will be a moon,
and - But he never finished his sen
tence-the sofa pillow hit him anG he spoke
no more. At last Wa fastened the kitten
into an empty peach basket and retired for
the night a trombone, in addition to a
snare drum and a piercing French horn,
could not have made much more disturb
ance. We fed it every five minutes through
the next day, and the dear teDder-hearted
boy picked catnip by the bushel measure,
which we brewed into quieting tea. The
result was a more comforting second night
all round. But an alarming tendency to
evince n consuming love for its rescuer that
sought to express itself in constant attend
ance grew apace with the small cat.
Wherever | moved there moved the black
kitten, its abnormal growth of head held
high aud its tail held higher still. If sepa-
rated from me by the thickness of a door
it walled like young Banshee II admit
ted into the family conclaVe it manifested
its delight by purring like the running down
Of a large clock, and by solemn gyrations
after its own tail meant to be miIth-provok-
ing. but rendered pathetic by its weakness
and the unsteady tenure OF an upright
position. AS we saw from day to day that
in spite Of warmed milk and tender care the
worthless little life was failing. we grew to
be very gentle with the kitten, and by de-
gree5 it found a place OF its own in our
hearts. 1t so small, so helpless, but
yet so overwhelming ly loving and so ponder
ously grateful that not to care for it would
have bespoken call0uS hearts. On its little
cushion, improVistd from the boys fur cap,
il Law so patiently and so dafniily, sitting up
now and then to wash its face with waver-
ing paw, and looking from one to another
with yellow eyes that grew more and more
like crocus flowers set in the rim OF a wan
black face that was almost venerable in its
wiZened wisdom and its elish SOlemnity.
Nervous 10 the least shock of sound, cover
ing at the sudden flight of a fly, and quite
overcome by the shriIl song of katydd, the
little thing found its only peace of mind and
rest of body when somebody sat near and
now and then lowered it with gentle hand
something after the fashion of a mother
bird brooding her neStlings. One morning
the boy come running upstairs with floods
Of tears and announced that Tramp" for
so we called the kitten, couldn't ait up to
take her milk, and he was awfully afraid
she was going to die l went down ana
sure enough the worthless little life was
spending itself like the last thrOb OF quiet
tide upon the shore. Very gently gathered
the delicate body with its smooth and shin
ing fur and its eyes that looked so much
like cToeus blossoms, dropping now De-
meath the shadow Of heavy lids, and wrap
ping it warm and close in soft old apron
held II until all was over, and the tragedy
that comes to all, great kings and wee,
worthless kittens alike, had been played TO
its earthly end. The last glance Oh the
tOpaZ ewes was one of royal trust and voice
less gratitude, and as laid the little cat
back on the tiny cushion, scarce lndented
with its light weight, was not one Dlt
ashamed of the tears in my eyes that made
me see double
"Inasmuch as ye did it unto :the least OF
these" etc,