The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-04-08

dirty, and as I have said. would come
for a. bath of her own accord. When
fresh washed she looked like a bunch of
tteecy white chrysanthemums
AT the moment she was taken from
her cage in the shop window and put
into my arms. though she fastened her
self to me with a love that was stronger
than instinct, there was a wildness
about her that belonged to a creature
fresh from the savage state, and which
she never outgrew altogether. Her
timidfty was excessive; every strange
lace, object or sound frightened her and
every abrupt motion made her start;
at the same time she was as mischiev-
Gus as a monkey, and mad with spirits.
one of her games was to run out of
the ante-chamber of the hotel apart
ment and down a long corridor to the
head of staircase and back again be-
fore l could catch her, and repeat this
until she overreached herself and flew
back into the apartment in her excite
ment, when a sentinel Immediately shut
the door and captured her. One night
she got out and began this game, but
instead of turning and scampering back
she ran down the staircase into the
dark. 1t was late, the servants had
gone to bed, the lishts were out, and
after a vain search I had to give her
up for the night. The next morning she
was brought back so thoroughly cOwed
and scared that from that time forth
she not only never ran out again, but
when the door of the apartment opened
she sprang hastily into one of the in
ner rooms, as if outside lay the vast
unknown, which she had once seen too
close.
''CZarina is never quiet except when
worn out with play, and at first she
made such demands on me that l had
to provide her with a whole arsenal of
toys. A soft ball with something that
jtngled inside it was her first plaything
and that still holds its favor.
Cats are susceptible of little atten-
lions, such as spreading rug or laying
a cushion fcT them, and exceedingly
tenacious of their rights of possession.
Certainly my cats are so. Besides their
baskets each of mine has a cushion,
which is kept in one place, on which
she is trained to lie, ito prevent her
covering the furniture with hairs.
Czarina has been completely broken to
the habit and has so exclusive a sense
of property in hers, which is in the cor
ner of sofa, that if she sees a human
being resting his head or elbow on it
she posts herself on the floor before
him. looking him out of countenance
until he moves. Once a visitor threw
her cushion into a chair and sat on it.
AS he disregarded her mute protest she
walked away but would not lie on it
for weeks afterward.
How many cats have I? 7 shall have
to count then-but not now. 1t is a
habit in the house, whenever there has
been a wash day among the cats. to
give them party In the evening; they
have their bows on their necks and are
all brought to the drawing room, where
their balls are thrown to them and as
they are always in a sta tie Of hilarious
excitement when the first sleepiness of
the bath goes off a general frolic fol-
lows. Some of them do not like the
bow at first and try to switch it off,
but soon come to take pride in it.
~zarina, a true Partisan in that re-
spect, has love of adornment and shows
excessive cOmplacency in her neck rib
BON, but at her kittens first party,
when they ran to meet her, after kiss
ng them in turn, she saw that each
lad a bow and boxed their ears all
'ound. She has a little brass and
velvet collar with bell, which she is
after a washing: when the bell is
iingled she will run and hold her neck
% have the collar fastened and then
rot about to be seen and heard.
My cats are fond of presents. Last
Christmas several presents came to the
house two or three days in advance and
left them in my bedroom in the wrap
ping paper though Czarna coaxed aud
used all her bland shments to have
them opened. On Christmas eve. after
being out for several hours, I went up
to dress, and on the landing l met
TZarina and two others of my pets
out of my dark room in single
file, with furtive walk and dem amor.
They passed me rapidly without recOg-
1ition. slipping downstairs and dis
oersed. On striking light I found the
paper torn from the parcels and scat
-ered over the floor. some Of the strings
United and the pastebOard boxes clawed
nto peepholes Thew must have been
At work the whole afternoon.
"Czarina was the most helpless being
ever saw at large: she would starve
f not regularly fed, for she never
catches anything more formidable than
1 moth. If she is i'll she will not allow
herself to be put down for a moment,
begging to be taken up like sick child
md laying herself across my arms as a
lurra carries a baby"