Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1896-03-04

But she wrote and said her heart was all
mine aud that when became myself again
| should be taken back. | tore the shaky
little missive into fragments aud sent no an
swer
Aud so things went on. Ipawned or sold
one after the other, the few things owned,
and so had money enough for the whiskey
l craved, aud the craving never left me save
when fell into a drunken sleep and forgot.
And thus month went by. Ny friends
alarmed, and then disgus!ed had dropped
away from me one by one, and / now drank
alone and in deeper measure. A curse was
on me. No one could save me. | could
not save myself. was doomed and |
laughed and sang, or cried as the nature of
the drunkenness moved me.
One night, toward the middle Of June, as
| stood on my steps aud fumbled trying to
get the key in the lock, felt something
touch my leg, and, looking down, saw a cat.
| leaped back, crying out in fright. My
nerves were strangely shaky now, and l
thought it the ghost of her had killed
The street lamp in front of the house was
lighted, and | could see the creature plainly.
No il was not my cat, she was yellowish in
color while this one was black with white
spot like tie under the throat. As | stood
there looking, it came up to me and rubbed
against my legs and purred and looked up
at me as though begging me to take no.
tice of IT, And then / stopped down, as
had done that winters night months ago,
and, picking the creature up in my arms
carried him to my room and laid him down on
the rug. And when | awoke in the morn
ing, and got out Of bed, 10, up he jumped
and ran to me- and rubbed, purring, against
my legs Just as she had done. And | bent
down and stroked him, aud said Kitty,
nice kitty, nice kitty !" just as | used to say
10 her And then | sat down on the edge
Of the bed, and, burying my head in my
hands, wept as a child would weep,-wept
long aud with great sobs. And all the time
the cat was rubbing himself back and forth
against my legs, and purring and looking
up at me in wonder and in sympathy.
And, when came in that afternoon after
long walk in the country. with my head
clearer aud my heart lighter than they had
been for weeks, 10, he met me at the door,
Just as she used to do, and ran up the steps
ahead OF me to my room, stopping, as she
had stopped on each landing to be petted.
And all that afternoon / sat in my room,
and played with him, aud talked to him,
and promised him | would never touch an-
other drop Of liquor, so help me God, and
he purred aud looked up at me as though he
knew what said and believed me.
Well, that was full ten years ago, and |
haven't taken drink since. And now am
called prosperous, as the world goes, and
mother lives with me. / can see her and
Bessie my wife, through the open door Of
my study as sit writing this simple story.
| love them with the deepest love and they
20 love me, but all their love was powerless
to do what that cat did,-to bring me back
to honor and to happiness.
He is dead now,-the cat,-dead these
four years; but / know where he Lies, for
put him there; and the stonecutter knows,
too, for he placed a white stone there on
which was chiseled -
Here. like a human creature, lies brute,
Who. from brute into a man,
Uplifted him, who, now In loving memory,
Plants here this stone above his friend a cat !"