Warren sheaf. [volume] (Warren, Marshall County, Minn.) 1880-current, 1896-05-21

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street from feminine vanity, rather
than eccentricity, it would have been
no wonder. Not q young girl in the vii.
lage has such head of hair as Amanda.
It is of beautiful chestnut color, and
there is not gray thread in it. It is
full of wonderful natural ripples, too
not one of the village girls can equal
them with her papers and crimping
pins-and Amanda arranges it in two
superb braids wound twice around her
head. Seen from behind, Amanda's
head is that of young beauty; when
it turns little, and her harsh old pro-
file becomes visible, there is shock to
the stranger.
Amanda's father had a great shock
of chestnut hair, which was seldom cut,
and she inherits this adornment from
him. He lived to be an old man, but
that ruddy crown of his never turned
gray. =. r.
Amanda's mother died long ago;
then her father. Ever since she has
lived alone in her shingled cottage with
her cats. There were not so many cat::
at first; they say she started with one
fine tabby, who became the mother,
grandmother and great-grandmothe
to armies of kittens.
Amanda must destroy some when she
can find no homes for them, otherwise
she herself would be driven afield, but
still the impression is of legion.
A cat is so covert, it sinks so secretly
from one abiding place to another and
seems to duplicate itself with it's sud-
den appearances, that it may account in
a measure for this impression. Still
there are great many. Nobody knows
just the number-the estimate runs
anywhere from Is to so. Counting, or
trying to count, Amanda Todd's cats
is favorite amusement of the village
children. Here's another" they shout,
when a pair of green eyes CLEANS at
them from post. BIT is it another, or
only the same cat who has moved? Cats
sit in Amanda's windows; they stare
out wisely at the passers-by, from be-
hind the panes, or they fold their paws
ON the ledge outside in the sunshine.
Cats walk Amanda's ridgepole and her
fence, they perch on her posts and fly
to her cherry trees with bristling fur
at the sight Of a dog. Amanda has as
deadly a hatred of dogs as have her
cats. Everyone which comes within
stone throw of her she sends off yelp-
ing, for she is good shot. Kittens
tumble about Amanda's yard and crawl
out between her fence pickets under
peoples feet. Amanda will never give
away kitten except to a responsible
person, and is as particular as if the
kitten were human orphan, and she
the manager of an asylum.
She will never, for any consideration,
bestow one of her kittens upon family
that keeps a dog, or where there are
many small children. Once she made a
condition that the dog should be killed,
and she may be at times inwIrdly dis
posed to Danish the children.
Amanda Todd is extremely persistent
when she has selected home which is
perfectly satisfactory to her fcy kit
ten. Once one was found tied into a
little basket like baby on the doorstep
. of childless and humane couple who
kept no dog, and there is a story that
Deacon Nehemiah Stockwell found one
in his overcoat pocket and never knew
how it came there. It is probable that
Amanda resorts to these extreme meas
ures to save herself from either Destroy
ing her kittens or being driven out of
house and home by them. =.
However, once, when the case was re-
versed, Amanda herself was found
,,tiror Whor oh horo,, to III
and the care of her pets told upon her,
it occurred to her that she might adopt
little girl. Amanda has comfortable
little income, and would have been able
to provide good living for child, as
far as that goes
But the managers of the institution
to whom Amanda applied made in
quiries, and the result did not satisfy
them. Amanda stated frankly her
reason for wishing to take the child,
and her intentions with regard to
her. She wished the little girl to tend
her cats and assist her in caring for
them. She was willing that she should
attend school four hours per day, going
after the cats had their breakfast, and
returning an hour earlier to give them
their supper. She was willing that she
should go to meeting in the afternoon
only, and she could have no other chill
dren come to visit her for fear they
would maltreat the kittens. She fur
thermore announced her intention to
make her will, giving to the girl, whom
she should adopt, her entire property
i'll trust for her cats, to include her own
maintenance on condition that she de-