The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1892-09-01
HER sILKEN MAJESTY
FAMOUS PEOPLE AND THEIR
FELINE PETS.

DR.. johnson, Walter Scott. and Charles
Lamb Among the Cats Distin-
guished Admirers "A Beau
tiful Animal.
Mrs. Repplier, writing in the At
lantic Monthly, mentions among the
loyal and distinguished admirers Of
cats Cardinal Wolsey. Champheury
Chateaubriand. Montaigne. Baude-
laire; Sir Walter Scott to whom the
death OF his pet Master Binse was q
calamity; and Theophile Gautier,
whose Nine. Theophile, Seraphita.
Enjolras Gavroche Eponina, and
Don Peirrot de Navarro were regarded
by him as cherished companions. She
omits however, from her list Of cat
lovers the name of DR.. johnson.
That great warm heart had a corner
for poor puss, and his was more than
a mere passive liking. 1t was his
custom to go out and buy
oysters for his cat Hodge,
lest his servants if asked
to perform such a duty might take a
dislike to the animal and so tilt treat
it. Boswell relates that when he
praised Hodges beauty DR.. johnson
replied, why yes. sir; but have
had cats liked better than this But
he is a very fine cat indeed. y the lexi-
cographer added hastily. as if fearing
that his pets feelings might be
wounded. Perhaps it was Hodge that
the Ignorant young gentleman re-
ferred to when. in the pursuit of
knowledge. he SO disguised johnson
by asking if 'puss here" belonged to
the oviparous species. It was not .out
of sight out of mind " with DR.. John
son, for when several of his compan-
ions were talking of the pranks of
some wild young blades who amused
themselves by shooting cats in the
street johnson was heard to mutter,
But Hodge shan't be shot No, no!
Hodge shan't be shot,
The killing of De Quincey's cat by
a savage dog, appropriately named
Turk, was one of the tragedies of his
childhood. still remembered with pain
IN his maturity. Speaking of kittens
he said, ''Other creatures may be as
happy, but they do not show it so
much" Though Sidney Smith may
not have been among those who place
the proper valuation upon cats, he ex-
pressed his appreciation of them as a
pleasant detail IN the domestic scene.
Charles Lamb must have tolerated
one of these dainty creatures about
his domiclle, for he describes him
self in "a letter to Charles Cowden
Clarke, going about like an Arcadian
shepherd, with switch turned up
at the end for crook, and lambs be-
ing too old. the butcher tells me nv
cat follows me in a green riband." 1t
is somewhat curious that the cat has
had so few distinguished feminine ad-
mirers. Perhaps they have instinct.
lively avoided the badge of spinster-
hood. Maclise's picture of Harriet
Martineau represents her with Tabby
perched comfortably upon her shout
der, but as it was rather a caricature
than a portra t the. artist may have
thrown in that touch as typifying the
maiden state of the authoress. It
should not be forgotten. however that
one of the most touching of Mary
Wilkins stories turns upon the loss
and recovery of a lonely old woman's
cat. e.4
Like all creatures of strong indiv-
iduality. Her silken ma esty is either
execrated or adored: there is no mid
die course. Her traits are all well de-
fined. Her tenac ty of purpose has
often been commented upon; to dis
lodge her from favorite haunt or
lead her whittier she does not care to
go. might almost rank among human
Representatives, 1t seems as If she
must have formulated little proverb
of her own: &c que chatte veut
Dieu lie veut :" Miss ReppIier shows
that she understands the cats true
place in the universe. :Agrlppina !"
she says speaking OF her own beauti-
full pet will never make herself
serviceable. yet nevertheless is she of
inestimable service" Looked upon
by the vulgar as a mere rat catcher
and called cold treacherous. migrate
full &C.. by conventional thinkers.
her silken majesty needs neither
utilities nor virtues to recommend her.
She has another mission in life to full
fill namely, just to show what beauty
may She embodies in herself the
flexuous line of beauty, and is ever a
delight to the eyes. whether stretched
at languorous length or ieaping and
crouching with that savage grace
which recalls her ancestors of the
desert She is physically incapable
of an awkward movement; and for
that reason. if for no other. she should
be cherished in a world where the
clumsy and uncouth are at home.
The legend runs that Camoens, when
too poor to buy candles. used to write
verses at night by the light OF his
cats eyes Strange thoughts should
have visited a lyrist whose pages
were lllumined by such weird lamps
of golden-yellow or clear translucent
green. Perhaps some latter day poet
may take the hint and seek q like
source of inspiration.
The Cost Of Keeping an Elephant.
All the elephants used in the indian