Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1900-05-12

Die, you must understand that you can
only enjoy it from IL distance. If you
want food. you'll have to look on the
roofs"
His statement that meat in kitchens
does not belong to cats was incompre-
hensible to me- Now indeed my stom-
ach began to clamOr most earnestly for
food. The tomcat filled me with de-
spair by his assurance that we could
not expect to get much food before
nightfall. when darkness comes" he
said, I'VE will 90 down into the street
and search through the ash heaps
Wait till nightfall." How calmly he
said that. the hai dened old philosoph~'!
Very ugly the street appeared to me.
Here found no more warmth. no more
sunshine. Very different was it on the
cleaning roofs. where one could frolic
so comfortably. With bitter regret |
thought of my warm blanket and of
my feather pillow.
Scarcely bad we reached the street
when my friend the tomcat began 10
tremble. He made himself small, very
small. and sneaked past the houses,
while he ordered me to follow him as
quickly as possible. AS soon as he
came to door he hid himself nd be-
gan to pur contentedly. When ! asked
him why he had fled, he answered
did you see that man with the big
hook?'
Yes"
"Well, if he had caught sight of us.
he would have cooked and eaten us"
Cooked and eaten u.s." | cried But
doesn't the street belong to us? We
don't get anything to eat and yet we
are to be eaten ourselves"
Meanwhile the heaps of refuse in
front of the houses had been ranSack.
ed. | found two or three bare bones
buried in dirt and ashes Then | ap.
preciatcd the value of fresh meat My
friend the tOmcat examined the heaps
with the skill of an artist
He let me run around until morning.
and for ten hours | remained in the
rain, shivcring with cold in every limb.
Internal street. accurSed liberty! How
l longcd for my prison.
When day came and he saw me al
most powerlpss. he asked:
'IIave you had enough of it?'
"Oh. yes!'' | replied.
"Do you want to go back home?
"Of course | do. but how are we to
find the house,?
Come. When | saw you yesterday
morning, | knew well that fat cat
like you would not appreciate the joys
of liberty. | know your home. and |
will take you to the door"
The worthy old tomcat said these
words with the utmost compOSure
When we reached the door. he bade me
farewell and did not seem in the least
moved at parting from me
mo" | cried; I'VE cannot part thus
You must come with me We will
share the same bed and the same meat
My mistress is Il good woman"
He interrupted me hastily
"Silcnce!" he exclaimed. You are
a fool. In your warm home would
soon 20 to pieces Your quiet. domrs
tic life is good for pet cats. Cats that
love liberty will never surrender it for
the sake of tidbits and a feather bed
Goodbye
He returned to the roofs. | saw his
large, lean body quivrr with joy as it
felt the careSScS of the rising sun
AS ! entered the house your aunt
caught a rod and gave me a thraShing,
which | received with deep joy.
1t was Il real luxury for me to feel
warm once more. While she beat me
thought with rapture of the dainty
meat which she would soon set before
me.
LET me tell YOU" said my cat as he
stretched himself out at full length on
the hearth. true happiness. paradise.
my dear sir consists in being locked up
and getting n thraShing in a room
where there IS n piece of meat"
merely give this as my cats opin
ion.-New York Herald.