Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1896-05-23


is a favdrite amusement of the village
children Here's another" they shout,
when a pair of green eyes CLEANS at
them from a 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 fl y
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 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
person, and is as particular as if the
kitten were a 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
1hany small children. Once she made a
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 childless and humane couple who
kept no dog, and there is story that
Deacon Nehemiah Stockwell found one
in his overcoat pocket and never knew
how it came there. 1t 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
a little girl. Amanda has 4 comfortable
little income, and would have been abs
to provide n good living for child, az
far that goes
But the managers of the institution
to whom Amanda applied made in.
Quiries, and the result did no. satisfy
them. Amanda stated frankly heS
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 tc
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 the
almshouse.
I'D 'nough sight ruther go on the
town than live with all them cats" she
said.
1t 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
when the sexton opens the meeting
| house; he is an old man and dim-eyed
! and they are often successful 1t is wise
| for anybody before taking a seat in a
| 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 Oh
| Amanda's cats when she dies There i
a report that she has made her will and
left her property in trust for the cats &c
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
the 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 al
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
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