The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1901-03-06
LITTLE PHIL AND OLD TOM.

LITTLE PHIL AND OLD TOM.
But there are cats and cats. This
is the story of another kind of cat.
They say he was half Maltese. ButI
don t know whether or not that makes
any difference.
1t is also the story of q blue-eyed,
curly haired boy. An only child. A
household idol.
The parents Of this child had moved
from their southwest Georgia planta-
tion to Atlanta, and, as was natural,
they had left many of their unneces-
sary belongings behind them-espcc.
tally their cat. Or, rather, their boys
cat, for it was he who had raised it
from kitten. lie had seen it in the
road one day while going with his
mother and father back to the panta-
ton from town. The buggy had run
over it and it was lying gasping and
crying in the road. That little sun.
beam Of "A boy was distressed to death
lie was only 3 years old, but he had
inherited gcntlcness from both sides
OF the family, and his tender little
heart went out to that poor little kit
ten.
To humor him his good d-naturcd
father got out of the buggy and picked
up the kitten, while the sweet moth
er wrapped it un in her cloak, ''just
to please the boy neither mother
nor father thinking it would be alive
when they reached home. But it was.
Which shows again what way cats
have. And it continued to live.
That youngstcr had to nurse it for
some time, but this he did religiously,
until it was soon as robust and devil
ish as any kitten of its age and size in
Georgia. Then, after saving its life,
that youngster started in to making
that life miserable for it. But the
cat seemed to realize what he owed
that boy, and instead of getting mad
about it, he was very patient and af-
fectionate, and actually seemed to get
so he enjoyed it after awhile. And,
as much as he liked to tease his cat,
that boy would have fought his "dad-
dy' if he had dared to bother his pro-
perty. Instead of growing up to love
a dog best of all, he had come to
love cat better than anything on
earth.
But the best Of friends must part,
and so when the family came to Allan
ia old Tom cat was left down there on
the plantation in southwest Georgia.
1t was hard on the youngstcr, but he
was man, every inch of him, and he
bore it bravcly. just SO long as the
overseer would mention in his letters
each week how old Tom was getting
along, and daddy" would send his
love back to him when he wrote.
The sudden change in climate or
something brought on spell Of sick
ness, and pretty soon that blue-eycd,
curly y-haircd boy was in bed with pncu-
monia, from which, however, he even
tually recovered, though, of course,
but shadow of his former self Then
he was taken i'll again and complica-
tions set in. He would grow delirious
at times, and nothing would quiet him
until mamma talked TO him about his
cat. Then h, would cry and say he
would like to see old Tom just once
more.
The disease took another unfavor-
able turn, and the shadow over that
once happy household grew deeper.
"Wc'll do the best we can, said
the physicians, "but be prepared for
the worst. We fear he is too weak to
resist the disease"
a heart broken father put his arm
around trembling, sobbing mother
and drew her into n corner of the
cocm. Prayers wen: up 10 God 10
spare their boy, and tears fell upon
and consecrated the spot where they
knelt. But the little figure on the
bed continued to culver and gasp and
occasionally smile that far.away
smilo that is So sweet and yet so terri
Bile.
81 want to see my eat" suddenly
came from those little Inns.