The record-union., 1893-02-27

There is not in all zoology a more ma
! lgned animal than the cat. 1t has even
been stated that the unpleasant traits at
trlbuted to the vampire bat are wholly
mythical. Yet no one has arisen to vim
dicate the cat. There are still rural COM
munltles-those not yet penetrated by
the railroad and the telegraph-where
they carry nutmegs for rheumatism and
plant their gardens in the light OF the
moon, where the cat is carefully put out
OF doors every night lest he should suck
the baby's breath. An authenticated ex-
ample of this terrible habit on the part of
poor puss has never been produced 1t
Is ike seeing ghost. 1t always appears
to somebody's second cousin, who told
his great-aunt, who passed the legend
down to the succeeding generation.
A cats lack of attachment to its bene-
factor is another crime charged against
the poor animal. Cats are not the only
t-creatures who do not like their benefac-
tors; there are hundreds of folks who
hate 'em. AS for pilfering, another fault,
what man or woman is there who has not
surreptitiously helped himself to some
coveted dainty, and said nothing about
1t? People who have studied the ways of
the cat species are surprised to find how
many different types of character there
are among them; the dull and the intelli-
gent; the lazy and the Industrious; the
atfectionate and the Indifferent; the sober
and the dignihed, and the yeritable har-
lequin.
\ family who have always had large
collection tell many stories OF the lido
syncrasies of their pets.
A BLACK AND WHITE.
Among them probably the queerest of
all was black and white female who
had been denied the joys of motherhood.
Never was the longing for offspring more
plainly shown in a human being. She
had passionate interest in the kittens of
all the other cats more highly favored
than herself. Not only would she watch
their trlSking and playing with Wistful
interest, but she was a hardened and per-
sistentkidnaper. She was an incorrigible
kltten-stealer that no punishment could
cure. She would watch her opportunity
when the real parent had slipped away to
get breath of air, make a descent in the
box or basket where her family had been
left, and carry them away, one by one,
until the whole litter had been abducted
She had all sorts of hiding places for the
stolen babies-in the clothes press, on the
shelves of the storeroom and between the
blankets of the children's trundle-bed.
and when the defrauded mother returned
she witnessed her grief and lamentations
with the utmost complacency, seeming to
cherish her guilty secret.
Another cat was mighty hunter-also
female with six kittens. Her masters
house adjoined a wood, and before the
kittens eyes We're opened she began to
sally forth in search of prey which she
considered adapted to their tender stom-
achS. Small moleS, wood-mice, chin
hunks and flying squirrels were ruth
lessiy slaughtered, the family box being
surrounded by their mangled remains.
No amount of beating or other means of
discipline could curb her bloodthirsty
propensties.
A BORN CLOWN.
Another cat was a born clown. 1t could
run and leap and turn somersaults like
trained poodle, and learned of its self a
clever trick of opening doors. The house
was an old-tashioned one, and many of
the doors were supplied with ancient
latches. The cat would spring up, thrust
one paw through the curved piece of
metal and tap the finger of the latch with
the other until the door would hy omen.
Then she would walk in with pronounced
pride in the achievement. The cellar of
the house would occasionally get flooded
with water. The entrance was through a
pantry, upon the shelves of which kitchen
supplies were kept There was pane of
glass broken in the cellar and this Madam
Puss discovered, using it as means of
ingress and egresS. She was usually put
out at night, having been provided with
a snug box i'll the barn. But she very
much preferred the rug in front of the
CRATE, or, better still, to curl up in bed
with the children. One spring the rains
were unusually heavy and the cellar was
flooded. The cat went down the cellar
steps and discovered it, experimental
gingerly, and then retreated. While the
flood was still at its hight she was turned
out TO go to her own quarters, as usual,
which she showed decided unwillingness
to do.
In little while there was heard tap.
tap on the latch and in walked the cat,
not only dripping, but covered with
flour. She had braved the waters
crawled through the hole in the window,
swan the flood and wound up the per-
formance by knocking down Il pan of
flour from the shelf, with which her wet
fur was coated from the ears to the tip of
her tail. The family laughed immoder-
ately, and II ever there was a grin of
sympathy depicted upon an animals face
il appeared upon that cats. She seemed
perfectly conscious of her ridiculous ap-
pearance and of what she had DONE
a lady had very beautiful Maltese
tom, an animal of great size and sagacity
W Nhile he was yet young kitten span
iel puppy was added to the collection of
family pets. Between the dog, which
had the incongruous name OF Phantom,
and the cat, which was christened Tim
othy, there sprang up an immediate
friendship. They had many a stirring
romp and ate out of tie same dish with
the utmost amiability. When their mis-
tress went to the meat market Phantom
and Timothy both accompanied her,
walking sedately by her side. 1t was
only short distance, and when the place
was reached Phantom went inside for his
accustomed bone and Timothy ran up
the lower branches, out of reach of alien
dogs whom he had not converted to peace
aud oood will Whom his ,OiStrass onJ