Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1900-12-21
THE PHILOSOPHY OF sLAcKNEss

blackneSS was practising his newest
pose, at his headquarters between the
first and second rows of onions, when
the kitten came listlessly down the
garden path.
The pose was one of proud reflec-
ton. His breast was thrust forward
puffily, his head lay back sideways
upon his left shoulder, his eyes were
shut and his nose was in the air. He
lowered it slightly as the kitten ap-
preached, and turned the two green
lines of his eyes toward her.
What's up, now?" he queried,
maintaining with some difficulty the
precision of his pose. Lose your
grasshopper? See you after one a
while ago."
The kitten sighed and stretched
herself upon the hot gravel in lank de-
lection.
They've got a new kitten in the
house." she said, sullenly, land mis-
ess and little misses are feeding it
milk and cuddling it. Every time it
moves, they squeal out, oh, the sweet
thing! The cunning little dear!' It's
snip of gray-and-white. 1 could
tear 1t all up in a second-if l
could only get at it," she added, saw
06NASs AhCy hlun nave Il worn
| say to me, except to shoe me out
when | growled." She raised her lit
tie, velvety black head, with its fash
ing eyes and quivering white whiskers,
and cried excitedly, What do they
want of another kitten? Two cats
surely ought to be enough for one
family"
Blackness slowly revealed the white
ness of his teeth and the full, round
greenness of his eyes. Then he shift
ed slyly to his conversational pose. It
was more comfortable, and he had
much to say.
always stewin,' amt your" he be-
gan, with patronizing tolerance. "You
are too emotional. Philosophy's what
you need. Now perhaps you can learn
something from my career. Am 1 a
fixture here, or not?" mockingly.
"You certainly are" admitted the
kitten, indifferently.
well" resumed Blackness, COM
placently, "if l am, any cat can be.
It's only a matter of management.
They didn't want me and wouldn't
have me, at first. l was a tramp, and
you know they're kinder tony. But
l worked 'em, and I've been working
'em ever since. Couldn't keep house
| without me now.
"They used to throw water and
| clubs at me and sputter about that
! miserable black cat but l kept my
temper and hung on, and after awhile
they stopped bothering me. Misses
said l was the most persistent cat she
ever saw, and deserved some consid-
Grafton.
my colors been against me terri
bly,; lots of folks think black cats are
unlucky and won't have 'em round.
Master says he always s'posed, till
come, that there wasn't such a thing
in the world as black cat without a
white hair on it. He couldn't find one
on me, though" and Blackness blink
ed triumphantly at the kitten who had
a white face and throat and white
| feet. Presently he resumed with a
| chuckle:
'Taint always been against me,
| however. / done misses a good turn
| by it once that she Amt never forgot,
and I've took lots of liberties ever
| since on the strength of the affair.
| There was a woman used to come and
| see misses and she always brought
| her two boys along.
| Them boys was terrors. They was
right on to everything in the house
| destroying all misses best things
and they didn't pay no 'tention to
their mother. She didn't have no
sand anyway. Misses was most
crazy.
But one day when they were there,
| happened in, and during the rest OF
the visit, they sat quietly side by side
way back on the sofa, cycling me ner'
vously but most respectfully.
Their mother said it was too bad
to spoil their pleasure, and since they
were afraid of the cat, perhaps misses
better put it out, but misses just
smiled sweetly and said, oh, no, he
won't hurt them
after they was gone, she Rugged
me and said l was a perfect treas
ure.'
Blackness opened and shut his eyes
gently several times in silence. HIS
soft ears were thrust forward prettlly
Supreme self-satisfaction dominated
his every hair.
"Now she says l have artistic and
dramatic instincts" he continued
smoothly. Know how l done that
Laid in the violet patch all the spring
and then took to the morning glorles
Now I'm doing the onion Deu' Ooloi
sets me off in great shape, you see
She looks at me and says, smiling
MY, but he's black! How smart o.
him to emphasize it sol This shade
of green does suit me rather well
eh?" And he drew himself up ma
iestically against a mass of dropping
onion tops and flashed out the flicker
ing greens and yellows OF his eyes
upon the troubled kitten.
Eyes, you do look awfully nice" she
admitted. generously. "But what has
ali this to do with the new htten%
"Just watt" interrupted Blackness
imperiously. "Lemme tell you what
done first. Then you'll see."
fitting his head backward, ne nan
closed his eyes retrospectively, and
continued:
"The way l worked the old mar
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