The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1900-07-07
YEGETARIANCAT

: ~ j UT = 49, -
cat, in country town and quiet fam
lily. References exchanged. Vegetarian
family preferred" h
This advertisement caught my eye
and haunted my imagination. We
were a quiet family OF vegetarian ten
denotes. and, moreover, rive were in
need of a little more help In the house,
(. keeping department. So it was that we
answered the advertisement. The ar
rangements were quickly made, and
Miss Mullen and her cat came. tx
We had decided that she would be a
slight, delicate little lady and that she
would bring the cat in large covered
basket. When she came she proved to
be Just what we had imagined her.
She put the. basket on "a chair. and
then FASTENED to unfasten the cover.
She raised 1t cautiously, and there ap-
peared over the edge OF the basket q
cats head. He was q large black and
white cat, entirely commonplace, save
for one. thing. His face was mostly
white, but on his under lip was a tiny
black spot. This little Imperial gave
him sort OF distinction. He looked
calmly about the room. then settled
back in his place and closed his eyes.
"There!" said Miss Mullen trlum-
phantly. ".You see what a vegetable
diet does for cat. If he had been fed
on flesh, he would have been tearing all
around the ROOM" h 4
She stood. regarding the cat fondly.
Won't you take off sthings?" ]
/ suggested.
"oh. yes" She recollectcd herself
suddenly, and .unfastened her coat
showed her to her room, and left her
there. -
Presently she returned to the sitting
room. She tiptoed to the basket and
looked in, and then came and sat near
4 me.
George is still asleep" she said.
\. "George?" said. "oh, the cat,
What an odd name for q cat"
She colored the least bit possible. 81
named him for somebody I used to
] Know" she said with dignity.
did I understand YOU to say that he
( is vegetarian cat?"
Eyes, I never could see why It should
not be as good for cats as for humane
! and I think that George is proof that
my theory is correct. You see how
s steady his nerves are. He never has
had morsel of flesh to eat in his life.
4 have kept the closest watch on his diet.
: He is old enough now so that think
his habits are pretty well formed. and
doubt if he would touch meat If 1t
were put before him. 1t is partly on
his account that wanted a home in n
vegetarian family"
She had been rocking gently back
and forth, buttnow she suddenly sat
bolt upright and listened, a quite fierce
expression on her face.
do 1 hear English sparrows?" she
demanded.
~ shouldn't wonder."1 said. There
are some around here"
"Oh, dearr' she cried in tone of
great concern. I'll don't believe
car stay then, and am so Sorry, for
everything else Is Just what wanted
Why didn't remember to put It in my
advertisement. that it must be an Eng
lIsh-snorrow-l esS plarn2"
y After some coaxing I persuaded her
tosstaYt with us. for little whiies
" though, she was still very doubtful and
wished she had worded her advertise
ment differently.
Thus in our first interview l came
upon her two ruling .passohs-her love
for her cat and her hatred of English
sparrows. In the weeks that followed,
we all got to be very fond of her She
was CHEEKY and helpful, and seemed
contented. She had the gentlest dispo-
sition and there was but one subject on
which she ever showed temper. That
was the English sparrow. Sometimes
would pretend to champion the much
abused birds and then her indignation
knew no bounds. She was fercely sar-
castle, vindictive, and rcvenseful It
was very amusing TO hear her express
such bloodthirsty sentiment.
az you think the English sparrow
such a fine thing" she said one day,
"just read that" and she laid book
before me. 1t was United States agrl-
cultural report. and 1t was about the
English sparrow--Passer Domesticus-
and It contained some four hundred
I pages of statistics. did not read It
all, but looked 1t through, and In one
place found an old tin-type. which
had probably been put in for n book
mark. l glanced at 1t and saw that 1t
was n picture of 4 young mai. l,was
about to replace It when | noticed that
he were small black imperial. THAT
must be George" l said to myself. and
smiled at the resemblance. as George
the cat walked In Just then.
Most cats have marked characterIs-
tics, but George seemed to Dt q sort OF
noncntlty. am lot saying that his
/ vegetable diet had anything to, do with
1t. I merely state the fact. Ec slept
most of the time, and his eyes had n
dull. stupid expression. He struck me
as being cynical and without any par
ocular interest In life. About two
months after George and his mistress
came to live with Us change came
over the cat. His manner grew more