Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1897-12-30
FOES AND FRIENDS.

| FOES AND FRIENDS.
Our family cat and the dog next
door had been enemies for several
years. but are now friends, and this
is how it came about.
Our family went off to the country
month ago, and the gentleman next
door, to whom the dog belonged, went
abroad about the same time The
cats mistress made provision for
pussy's daily sustenance by bargain
ing with a neighbours servant to sup
ply her with bread and milk. The
dogs master also arranged to have his
faithful, four-footed friend fed and at
tended to during his absence.
During the first week or two the
animal caretakers performed their
duties regularly, but after that they
did their work badly, and for two days
Rover was chained to his kennel in
the yard without fresh water and with
only few bleached bones he had dis
carded in the days of atfluence. On
the night of the second day he gave
voice to his Indignation by bowling
all night long. A superstitious girl
in the neighborhood remarked that
the dogs bowling foretold death.
The dog heard this remark and howled
more, for he knew there would be
death soon, by starvation, if he did
not get something to eat soon.
Kitty, sitting disconsolately on the
roof of her own porch, heard Rover
baying his tale of woe to the moon,
and she soliliquized thus: There's
that stuck-up dog next door bowling
as though there were no other one in
the world who had troubles but him.
Serves him right, too, A little starv-
him."
Rover gave another long, pitiful
howl just then, and Kitty regretted
her momentary spite, and jumped
from the porch roof to the limb of
tree near by, ran nimbly down the
trunk, across the yard and up on the
fence above Rover's kennel.
They eyed each other for few mo-
ments in silence, when Kit stretched
herself out comfortably on the
fence and remarked:
You don't seem quite so robust as
you were few weeks ago."
well, you're no living picture of a
cat; if the moon were a little brighter
/ could see it clearly through your
ribs"
Therein he touched poor Kitty's
weakest spot, and she whimpered:
Il haven't tasted bread and milk for
l don't know how long"
Rover's heart was touched at this
admission, and he forgot his sarcasm
in moment and said: ''I'm worse
off than you are. I'm en- the verge of
rabies for drink of water, and as for
eating it's so long since had a square
meal I've forgotten how one tastes.
Then they told each other their
in few words of mutual sympathy,
and forgot half their troubles while
they talked.
81 shouldn't think you'd be SO
hungry" said Rover, tenderly.
You're not chained up as L am. You
can go around, and there must be lots
of rats and mice around your house. F"
Kitty assumed an air of injured
dignity as she replied: 'Well, I'll
give you to understand that I've been
in that house four years and there are
no rats or mice there now. l do wish
my mistress would return before I'm
starved to death. If she knew what
I'm suffering she'd hurry home
"Your mistress may be very good
in her way" said Rover, ''but if you
had a master like mine you'd have
reason to talk. There couldn't be
better master, and we understand each
other thoroughly. I've heard him
say hundreds of times that l know
how to read his thoughts, which of
course do"
''Your master may be good, but he
doesn't take you up in his arms and
fondle and caress you. He doesn't"
He'd have his arms full if he did
take me up. Why, weigh, or did
pounds. He'd have job to take me
up in his arms. L tell you what he
does, though; we go out walking to-
gether and we have the most delight
tut talks. Why, l could tell you lots
of things about my master, which no.
body knows but me, but 1 won't"
The servant girl who was to have
fed the cat looked over the fence, and
when she saw Kitty sitting on top of
Rover's kennel and the two apparently
so friendly, she was so astpnished that
she suddenly remembered the feeding
contract and brought out big dish
of bread and milk, and nice lot of
meat and bones. She placed the milk
close by the kennel where Kitty ate
and supped, while Rover crunched
the bones. The girl also gave fresh
water to the dog and said: Poor
things; shure, I'll take good care of
yez from this time on.
And she did. Since then Rover
and Kitty have been the best of
friends.