Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1896-05-21

CAAA0tSh. hCIC . LUCy
when pair of green eyes CLEANS at
them from post. But 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 q hatred of dogs as have her
cats. Everyone which comes within
stone throw of her she sends OF yelp-
ing, for she is a good shot Kittens
tumble about Amanda's yard and crawl
out between her fence pickets under
peoples feet. Amanda will never give
away a kitten except to a responsible
kitten were human orphan, and she
the manager of an asylum.
She will never, for any consideration,
bestow one of her kittens upon a family
that keeps dog, or where there are
lnany small children. Once she made
condition that the dog should be killed,
and she may be at times inwardly dis
posed to Danish the children.
Amanda Todd is extremely persistent
when she has selected home which is
perfectly satisfactory to her for kit
ten. Once one was found tied into a
little basket like baby on the doorstep
OF q childless and humane couple who
kept no dog, and there is q story that
Deacon Nehemiah Stockwell found one
in his overcoat pocket and never knew
how it came there. II 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
wanting. When she began to grow old,
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 q 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-
vote her life to them as she had done.
The trustees declared that they could
not conscientiously commit child to
her keeping for such purposes, and the
poor little girl orphan, who had the
chance of devoting her life to the care
CT pussy cats and kittens, to the exclu-
sion of all childish followers, remained
in her asylum.
So Amanda to this day lives alone, and
manages as best she can. Nobody in
the village can be induced to live with
Eer; one forlorn old soul preferred tho
almshouse.
I'D 'nough sight ruther go on the
town than live with all them cats" she
said. ara. .m...s
It is rather unfortunate that Aman.
da's shingled cottage Is next the meet
ing house, for that, somehow, seems to
render her non-church-going more glar-
ingly conspicuous, and then, too, there
is liability Of indecorous proceedings
on the part of the cats.
They evidently do not share their mis-.
tress' dislike of the sanctuary, and find
its soft pew cushions very inviting.
They watch their chances to stink in
house; he is an old man and dim-eyed,
and they are often successful. tits wise
for anybody before taking a seat in
pew to make sure that one of Amanda's
cats has not forestalled him; and often
a cat fees down one flight of the pulpit
stairs as the minister ascends the other.
We all wonder what will become OF
Amanda's cats when she dies. There is
a report that she has made her will and
left her property in trust for the cats to
somebody, but to whom? Nobody in
this village is anxious for such a be-
quest, and whoever it may be will prob
ably strive to repudiate it. Some day
tho cats will undoubtedly go by the
board; young Henry Wilson, who has
gun, will shoot some, the rest will be-
come aliens and wanderers, but we all
hope Amanda Todd will never know it.
In the meantime she is undoubtedly
carrying on among us an eccentric, but
none the less genuine mission. A home
missionary is Amanda Todd, and we
should recognize her as such in spite Of
her non-church-going proclivities.
Weak in faith though she may be, she
is, perchance, as strong in love as the
best of US. At least do not doubt that
her poor little four-footed dependents
would rr;,,. ou;Ia-oo %ha,, oO,,l1