Lyon County times. [volume] (Silver City, Nev.) 1874-1907, 1891-09-19

Littlefield, and he amt half as old as
you be-"
Hannah gave little spasmodic laugh
as she bent over Dicks trousers, then
checked herself suddenly. at was
shameful, downright shameful. Ruby.
But what did you do? You certainly
would not allow that brute of man to
go unpunished?"
81 went straight to the selectmen sit
ting there in the town hail." said Miss
Ruby severely, land laid the case before
them, and asked them if this was a
civilized, enlightened, Christian coun-
try and if there wasn't any redress. |
told them, too, how the boys come nights
and mewed round our house like sick
cats, dressed up in white sheets to pre-
tend they're ghosts, and asked for pro-
lection; and all the men they seemed
suddenly to be taken with a coughing fit,
and thought they were all coming
down with the grip.
"And that fat old DR.. Buslirk was
more polite, but, says he, Miss Ruby we
haven't any jurisdiction in these cases
unless you can bring witnesses. So
walked home without getting any salts
faction, and found" said Ruby, with
sob in her voice. THAT our big tortoise
shell Crumpet, that creature we had
every confidence in. so well brought up
as he had been, had caught little young
sparrow in the cherry tree and was eat
ing it on our very doorstep. Oh, then
Mis- Fearing, | did feel that the whole
earth groaneth and travaileth together:
all things turned black before my eyes.
But when | reflected on the way cats are
treated in this town, how they are
starved and chased and shot at by wick
ed boys, | couldn't wonder that Crum
pets morals had become corrupted.
And do you know, Hannah, =" she went
on. 81 mean to leave what little money
die possessed of, if Jane goes before me,
to a kind of cats hospital I'm going
to give our house for it, and have little
graveyard in back where the garden
patch is so that they may be buried de
Gently. Wouldn't you like to Join so
ciety for the protection Of cats and sick
kittens. and perhaps we might do some
thing for old. wornoi3t horses.
II don't believe | should" said Han
thread. II know there's brutes that
abuse dumb creatures and abhor
their cruelty. but | guess, Ruby, If we
protected cats the town would be over
run and there would be no sleeping at
night. AS long as there's ignorant folks
that long for teachin', and poor children
that can't get it, and miserable babies
that oughtnt never to have been born,
and neglected old. people, and folks out
of work too proud to beg. and hard
worked women and farmers wives. and
sick folks that need necessaries guess
| must give most of my pity and sym
pathy to them. ] know you mean well,
Ruby, and | respect your feelin's. |
wouldn't never laugh and think it's just
an old maids notion with you, this love
of dumb creatures.
ut was always my way" said Ruby.
ito take mp with the weakest, and there
aint anything weaker or more unpro-
tected than a cat. unless it's the bird
that fights with the squirrels when
they're tryin' to drive the birds away
from my cherries that they may gobble
all the fruit themselves. The Bible,
Hannah, don't have word to say about
cats, though it tells US not to muzzle
the OK when he treads out the corn. But
there's not u word about overlooking
horses, except it be that merciful man
is merciful to his beast; but that most
likely refers to the ass or donkey"
"If | was you" said Hannah, a
wouldn't leave my property to the cats
When you're dead and gone there won't
be nobody left in this town to feel about
dumb beasts as you do. and your will
won't be carried out. I should rather
leave the place for a lodging house for
tramps, where they could get bath and
meal and work it out saving wood, or
would make it into hospital for sick
babies"
Dunno" said Ruby, nursing her chin
in her hand "There1l be always them
that'll take care of the babies, and as
for the tramps haven't the horror of
dirt you have. Dirt is the poor mans
undershirt, and can't see as it does him
much good to souse him in a tub of
water and then let him go and wallow
in the next puddle he comes to. There
don't seem to be nothing want to do
with my money but to give it to the
abused, homeless cats, and the over
worked, CALLED, sore backed horses"
[To BE CONTINUED