The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1896-07-04
TAD Raglan.

tortoise shell, marked with brilliant
black, bright yellow, and pure white.
Her head was small and was set on a
slender body full of grace and activity
and she was as pretty in every way as
dear Ginger was homely.
She and Ginger grew up together,
sleeping in the same bed and trying to
eat out OF the same dish. But as they
had very different ways of eating, and
each was very decided in thinking his
or her own way was the only polite way,
they did not have very happy or social
meals.
There was an old soldier who used to
come and do odd jobs about the farm.
He was always singing at his work old
army songs. One song that was an es-
pecial favorite was about some hero
called "Tad Raglan" just who he was
or what he did have entirely forgotten
now, nor do l recall the air. l wish l
might meet some one who could sing the
old song. All l remember is that we
never tired of it, So, when kittie came,
| we gave her the name OF the song we
liked best. And Tad Ragan she was
ever after.
AS she grew older she became mighty
| huntress. Mice she caught as matter
of course, and she was always ION the
| jump" in summer for grasshoppers and
crickets by day and June bugs and mill
ers by night. We children really feared
that she never got any sleep, for when
we went to bed she was merrily frisking
on the table. threatening to overturn the
lamp in frantic efforts to catch the silly
moths that we're beating their wings
around the flame. And when we were
dressed in the morning. Tad was ready
for frolic before breakfast. suppose
Tad got her sleep in what Grandmother
calls "cat- naps."
Tad was very fond of admiration and
of showing off her skill in hunting. She
was constantly bringing something she
had caught and laying it at mothers
feet, and then rubbing against her dress
and purring loudly, as though to say,
"See what smart cat am ~
Sometimes she brought mouse or a
bumblebee or beetle, or even a toad.
But one day. when the sewing society
was in the parlor, Tad came in and laid
something at mothers feet as usual. and
began to purr her loudest. Mrs. Jones
was reading aloud. and nobody paid any
attention to puss until suddenly Mrs.
Brown jumped on chair and screamed.
Every one looked for the cause of her
fright, and there it was-a lively little
squirming garter snake. 1t was only
about ten inches long and as harmless
as fly, but how those ladies jumped
and ran!
Mother told Tad to take the snake
away, and she picked it up and walked
out, evidently wondering what all the
fuss was about. She thought it very
pretty plaything, full of tricks and need
ing to be watched or it would slip away
and hide, but with no harmful sting like
| the bumblebee's.
Once when Tad had grown to be big
cat, she acted quite queerly for time.
She did not want to play with us nor
with Ginger, and would go off and hide
where we could not find her, in the most
unsociable way. She would stay away
for hours. Ginger missed her very
much, and when she came back would
try to get her to play with him.
One day we discovered Tads secret.
Mother was going for drive, after hav-
| ing been shut 10 the house for more than
week. She sent me to the spare cham
Der for her bonnet. | found the door
and the one to the closet slightly open,
and on the shelf was the bandbox in
which the bonnet was kept And just
| then / heard faint NEW" and another
| and another. | hunted and hunted,
half frantic with delight until mothers
voice recalled my errand. Hastily
reaching down into the deep box. felt
not the bonnet, but the warmest,
softest little kittens lying down in the
crown-for bonnets had crowns and
brims too 10 those days. How l
screamed for Joy and rushed downstairs
with the precious kitties in my apron
and the bonnet trailing by one string!
How surprised and excited we were,
and how we laughed at the fine place in
which Tad had hidden her babies But
no one was quite so surprised as Ginger.
put them on the floor, and he very
carefully crept around them, ready to
spring back if they proved dangerous.
After moment he ventured nearer and
smelt them all over, which is a dogs way
of getting acquainted. When he was
quite sure that they were not only harm
less but something very curious and in
teresting. he gave vent to his feelings in
his usual impetuous jumps and barke.
just then Tad Raglan appeared She
did not wait to see that her precious
kittens we're not hurt. but. with eyes
blazing like searchlight and tail as big
as ball club, she flew at Ginger. He
was so surprised that he stopped bark
right in the middle, and ran away faster
than he ever ran in his life. don't be.
lieve he ever found out why his dear old