The Intermountain Catholic. (Salt Lake City [Utah] ;) 1899-1920, 1903-12-26
THE TALE OF A vAeABoND CAT.
By Daisy Maginnis, @O5, Sacred Heart Academy

(By DAISY Maglnnls, 10, Sacred Heart Academy
She had come into the household under the in
noceht title of kitty WGiskers"-a tiny ball of
grey and white fur with the most fascinatingly in
Quisitve green eyes that ever kitten possessed, or
so the girl. who liked kittens had said-and she
was a connoisseur. In happier days, she had had
a twin brother, and mother-a great, ungainly
creature whose dirty white coat suggested nights
spent in the coal-bn; in fact, outcast from re-
spectacle society scorned by the girl who liked
kittens, teased.by the boy who hated them, chased
by the dog who was her sworn enemy. And then
one night the twin brother had strayed away, and
the mother had abandoned her remaining offspring,
seemingly to look for the lost one. Then it was
that the girl who liked kittens found Kitty. Whs-
kers, and straightway adopted her.
1t was a pleasant homo into which she had
dropped this little waif. First there the sau-
of milk, morning, noon and night; and then
there was so much to do all day long' If one felt
sleepy one could bask in the warm sunlight in
some grassy hollow, blinking laziy at the birds and
bees and flowers Or could chase butterflies,
which was exciting sport and required much run
ming. Or, i'll very exhuberance of joy one could
chase ones own TAIL which, if not so profitable,
was quite as exciting.
Soon one discovered and learned many things,
for instance, never to go water as it is damp
and unpleasant; never to answer the soft, begul-
ing call of that thing in pants known as boy;
never to venture too close to dogs, especially small
brown ones of an investigating turn of mind for
they are full of immeasurable guile. If dog of
this description, or q small boy, came suddenly
around the corner of the house, the best plan was
to make straight run to the little hole under the
barn, discovered at some previous time
But of anything in short skirts one need never
be afraid as it was sure to be quite harmless and,
indeed very kind hearted. In very short time
one learned to climb treesAat first laboriously, lit
tie by little, then in jumps to the first branch, and
at last In clear run to the top.
After this, made the acquaintance of some
neghborhood cats and learned TO sing nightly
solo consisting, with variations, of first meas
ure in a low grumbling bass then in a high, in
curing treble And how could one know that the
mother of the girl who liked kittens had risen in
wrath and night-robe, and threatened the prompt
removal of that provoking cat, if something were
not done Immediately that the girl had wept
bitterly for fully five minutes.
But all this is the experience of every young
kitten When Kitty Whiskers had learned to catch
mice and birds, and even cruelty to devour Them
then the important epoch In her life, It's turn
ing point, as it were For day there
brought to the girl who liked kittens pet,
tiny, playful creature white the driven snow
and in the most enhancing stage of kittenhood
With the fckleness peculiar to small maidens, she
at once forgot the very existence of poor Kitty
Whiskers-poor indeed, then, and again a waif
outcast left to the tender mercies of boyvle and
the attacks of pitiless dogs.
NO more was the Kitchen door LETT hospitality
open for winter had come, colder than ever, it
seemed, and there was no place behind the stove
for vagabond cats. Kittys coat became badly
roughened and spoiled her appearance, and she be-
came wilder and wilder as the days went by. All
day long she wandered from doorstep to doorstep,
living on stray scraps, and occasionally being for
tunate enough to catch tiny bird. Then at night
she returned to her old home, to creep through a
broken window, and sleep in a cold, damp cellar
Perhaps she realized what was the cause of all
her misfortunes. For one day, when the white
kitten came slowly out into the with daintily
lifted paws, she sprang upon her with sudden fury,
tore her soft white coat and left her. mangled and
bloody, for the girl to weep
Her punishment for this however was swift and
sure, for only few nights after she herself was
chased by big black Rover and only after
breathless flight escaped minus a tail and half
leg But her troubles seemed to end here, for she
was found thus, manned and sorely depressed in
spirits, by knd-hearted boy and nursed back to
life.
Today she is. round and plump again, and lit
tie of the hunted look has gone from her eyes. Her
devotion to the boy is quite touching No, she has
never made up to the girl and the sight of white
kitten still fills her with fury. She is getting pref
ty old now-I think she must be in her ninth life
but she still lmps about the three legs, and
sometimes catches mouse.