The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1900-08-31
TIE VEGETARIAN CAT.
To Her Mistress Chagrin She
Would Eat Sparrows.
BY SUSAN BROWN ROBBINS.

3s.:-O-3~S-.-s.4-o-:-s.&.
"Wanted-A situation where | can do
housework for the board of myself and
cat, in a country town and quiet family
References exchanged. Vegetarian fam.
lily preferred"
This advertisement caught my eye and
haunted my imagination. We were
quiet family of vegetarian tendenc'
and, moreover. we were in need of
little more help in the housekeeping de.
partment. So it was that we answered
the advertisement. The arrangements
were quickly made, and Miss Mullen and
her cat came.
We had decided that she would be
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 it cautiously. and there appeared
over the edge of the basketa cats head.
lie was Il large black and white cat,
entirely commonplace, save for one thing
His face was mostly white, but on his
under lip was Il tiny black spot This
little imperial gave him a sort of distinc-
ton. He looked calmly about the room.
then settled back in his place and closed
his eyes.
There" said Miss Mullen triumphant.
ly. You see what vegetable diet does
for a cat. If he had been fed on flesh.
he would have been tearing all around the
room"
She stood regarding the cat fondly.
Wont you take off your thingsT'
suggested.
"Oh, yes" She recolected herself sud.
denly 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, then came and sat near me.
George is still asleep" she said
"George?" said. "Oh. the cat What
an odd name for catn'
She colored the least bit possible Il
named him for somebody | used to
know" she said with dignity.
did understand you to say that he
Is a vegetarian cat?"
"Yes; | never could see why it should
not be as good for cats as for humans.
and | think that George is proof that my
theory is correct. You see how steady his
nerves are. He never has had morsel
of flesh to eat in his life. have kept
the closest watch on his diet. He is old
enough Row, so that | think his habits
are pretty we'll formed, and doubt if he
would touch meat if it were put before
him. 1t is partly on his account that |
wanted home in a vegetarian family
She had been rocking gently back and
forth, but now she suddenly sat bolt up
right and listened. a quite fierce express
sion on her face.
''Do | hear English sparrows?" she de-
manded.
81 shouldn't WONDER" said. ''There
are some around here"
"Oh, DEAR she cried in a tone of great
concern. Il don't believe | can stay
then, and | am so sorry, for everything
else is just what ! wanted. Why didn't
l remember to put it in my advertise
ment that it must be an English sparrow
less placeW
After some coaxing l persuaded her to
stay with us for little while, though
she was still very doubtful and wished
she had worded her advertisement differ
emily.
Thus in our first interview came upon
her two ruling passions-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 Aid
helpful and seemed contented. She had
the gentlest disposition, and there was
but one subject on which she ever show
ed temper. That was the English spar
row. Sometimes | would pretend to
champion the much abused birds. and
then her indignation knew no bounds.
She was fercely sarcastic, vindictive and
revengeful. 1t was very amusing to hear
''If you think the English sparrow such
fine thing" she said one day, lust read
that" And she laid a book before ne
1t was a United States agricultural re
port, and It was about the English spar
row (Passer domcsticus), and il contain
ed some 400 pages of statistics | did
not read it all, but | looked it through.
and in one place found an old tintype.
which had probably been put in for
bookmark. | glanced Mt it and saw that
it was a picture of young man. | was
about to replace it when | noticed that
he wore a small black imperial That
must be George" | said to myself, ana
smiled at the resemblance. as George the
cat walked in just then.
Most cats have marked characteristics
but George seemed to be a sort of nonen-
tity. | am not saying that his vegetable
diet had anything to do with it. merely
state the fact. He slept most OF the
time. and his eyes had a dull, stupid eX-
preston. He struck me as being cynical
and without any particular interest in
life About two months after George
and his mistress came to live with us a
change came over the cat. His manner
grew more lively and animated, and he
slept much less. Miss Mullen noticed
this. too. and remarked that she guessed
the change of air had done him good. 1t
was week later that | discovered what
was going on.
Our next neighbor each morn hrew
out crumbs for the birds II was a
very reprehensible practice, in Miss Null
lens opinion. and she denounced the
neighbor unsparingly. One morning
stood at an open window when the SPAR
rows were having their breakfast Sud
denly there was a violent commotion
among them. | looked, and there was
George with a sparrow in his mouth.
"Why. GEORGE | exclaimed in sur
prise, remembering his vegetarian bring
Ing up. He heard and looked at me with
q guilty, appealing expression on his face.