Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1900-04-19
WOODBURY., n J, THURsDAY, April. 19 1900.


only enjoy 1t from a 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 fol
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" be
said, 1--WE will go down into the street
and search through the ash heaps
Wait till nightfall" How calmly he
said that, the hardened old philosopher
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 had we reached the street
when my friend the tomcat began to
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 be
came to door he hid himself and be
gan to pur contentedly. When asked
him why he had fed he answered:
"Did you see that man with the big
hookY
eyes"
"Well. if he had caught sight of US
he would have cooked and eaten u.s."
Cooked and eaten usg' I 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-
preciated 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, shivering with cold in every limb
Internal street, accursed liberty! How
longed for my prison!
When day came and he saw me al
most powerless, he asked:
"Have you had enough of itY
"Oh, yesr' l replied.
s'Do you want to go back homer
"Of course do, but how are we to
find the houseY
"Come. When saw you yesterday
morning. | knew well that fat cal
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.
NO. 1 cried; I'VE cannot part thus
You must come with me. We will
share the same bed and the same meat
Ny mistress is a good woman"
He interrupted me hastily.
"SilenceH' he exclaimed. "You are
a fool! In your warm home | would
soon go to pieces. Your quiet, domes,
tic life is good for pet cats. Cats that
love liberty will never surrender it fol-
the sake of tidbits and feather bed
Goodbye
He returned to the roofs. l saw his
large, lean body quiyer with joy as II
felt the caresses of the rising sun.
AS l entered the house your aunt
caught rod and gave me thrashing
which received with deep joy.
1t was 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 a thrashing In a room
where there is a piece of meat"
l merely give this as my cats opin-
ion.-New York Herald.