The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1891-10-29
Hannah Feariing'S Fortune
By AUGUSTA LARNED
lCopyrighL ISOl. By American Press AssociA.
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II went straight to the selectmen sit-
ting there In the town hail." said Miss
Ruby severely, "and laid the case before
them. and | asked them II this was q
civilized, enlightened, Christian coun-
try and II 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-
tection; and all the men they seemed
suddenly TO be taken with coughing ct,
and ! thought they were all coming
down with the grip.
"And that fat old Dr.. Buskirk 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 l found, " said Ruby, with .
sob in her voice. "that our big tortoise
shell Crumpet, that creature we had
every confidence in, 90 well brought up
as he had been, had caught little young
sparrow In the cherry tree and was eat
ing Il 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, II mean to leave what little money
die possessed Of, II Jane goes before me,
to kind Of cats hospital I'm going
to give our house for 1t, and have little
graveyard in back where the garden
patch is % that they may be buried de.
Gently. Wouldn't you like to join 30
ciety for the protection Of cats and sick
kittens, and perhaps we might do some.
thing for old, wornout horses"
II don't believe ! should" said Han
nah slowly, as she drew out q long
thread. Il know there's brutes that
abuse dumb creatures and abhor
their cruelty, but guess, Ruby, II 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 oughtn't 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 feelina I
wouldn't never laugh and think it's just
an old maids notion with you. this love
Of dumb creatures"
at was always my way" said Ruby,
Ito take up with the weakest, and there
aint anything weaker or more unpro-
tected than q 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 o word to say about
cats, though 1t tells rs not to muzzle
the OF when he treads out the corn. But
there's not q word about overlooking
horses, except It be that merciful man
IL merciful to his beast; but that most
likely refers to the ass or donkey"
"If | was you," said Hannah, Il
wouldn't leave my property to the catA
When you're dead and gone there won't
be nobody left In this town 10 feel about
dumb beasts as You do, and your will
won't % carried out. 1 should rather
leave the place for lodging house for
tramps, where they could get bath and
. meal and work it out sawing wood, or
! would make II into hospital for SICK
babies"
Dunno" said Ruby, nursing her chin
In her hand "There1l be always them
that'n 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 o tub Of
water and then let him 20 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 IL 10 the
abused, homeless cats, and the over
vvorka1 -Onllad aona hankad horaaa