The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1904-02-28

asleep, but could not forbear opening the
eye next you to see If you observed
his modest unconsciousness.
Tommy and his gentle mistress have
both passed away, Tommy in the fullness
Of years, Margery in the first bloom or
youth, and survivors in their family have
been adopted by another kitten. She fol-
lowed them home one night or, rather, pre-
coded them, rolling over on her back ana
begging with all four paws in the air, at
every dozen steps. She was a most beautl-
full little creature, perfectly white, with
very long and fine fur and a tail Xix a
court train. She had the l~OvelieSt and
lovingest eyes ever seen and although APP.
parently old had not been abandoned long
enough to have suffered any great hard
ship, yet she seems never to nave recoV-
covered from the passions of gratitude and
alteration which she feels for the frlendS
who gave her a home. The look of adoring
love with which she gazes at her folks could
be paralleled only by that OF q young
mothers for her first born or a collie dogs
for his master. She possesses one virtue not
common in her race. She never steals. No
matter how hungry she is or how tempting
the food carelessly left where she can get
il, she never touches any not expressly
given to her. She has not been taught this;
1t springs apparently from native reSt1tude
and la~dylikeness. But she expects her own
property rights to be equally respected. She
had a favorite playthlng, Il ducks wing she
had found and brought into the house, and
with which she was accustomed TO play
mouse by the hour. One day some one in a
hurry Tor something TO apply lOQlne with
took a feather from this wing. kittens
did not see the act of misrepresentation, but
came into the room in time To see the feath-
er In use. She recognized it instantly,
stopped in her gay scamper as If petriied
and fixed a long, long gaze of the most as
tOnished and heartbroken Teproach upon the
offender. That is Kittens's feather! Kit
tens's featheri' she seemed to say, land
you have taken it! 1 would not take your
things without permission-I thought folks
were always good" She never played with
the wing again
She has taught herself many little tricks
will stand up tall and beg with her fore
paws for meat and will bring a ball, that
she can get hold OF, in her teeth 10 the
boy of the family, begging him TO play with
her. but she can be taught by her owners
to foreSo even her dearest amuSementS,
such as rumpling up rugs and art-SquareS
and scratching walls. once told emphati-
cally that a certain deed is b-a-a-d, she
r~efrains, unless overcome by sudden temp
tation.
to tell her she is "a b-a-a-d cat several
times in succession, tears will come into
her eyes and she will say piteously:
Don't! Dont!' after each repetition or
the opprobriouS adjective. At least, it
sounds like don't though it cannot be
averred that it is definitely articulated.
Like Tommy she considers it impOlite TO
NEW, but invents many different sounds to
convey her ideas. The words for meat
and for milk" are quite different and easi-
ly distinguished and very different from
AtAAC &A0 liz NOANo - ~ NNO $500
the SparrOWS for their impudence as she
watches them from the window seat. She
takes great delight in watching this worlds
passing show from the window. There is
one sight that always strikes her as so
sweet and interesting that she turns and
calls urgently and imperiOusly for the fam
lily to come and see II, too; TINS Is a oapy
on a sled drawn by its mother or an older
child. She is always inVentlnS new ways
to testify affection.
AS d member of the family crosses the
r~nYr mill hn nE1E h " a III
flash from under a chair, a velvety hug or
two white arms around the ankle, a swift
kiss dropped on the foot, and Kittens is
on the other side of the room before the
assaulted one knows what has happened.
While TOmmy'S tastes were artistic, hit
tens are scientific and practical; II Is neces-
sary that she should investigate every cor
ner of every room, every closet, cupboard,
trunk and drawer. She is always watch-
ing for a chance at a peep at any hitherto
uneXplOred regions. But the mystery Dy
which doors are opened and shut is the
one which engages p~rofoundest study. II
a door is not latched, she has found she
can paw 1t OPEN, If on one side, or push II
open if on the other. She will stand up
and push with her fore-paws, and, If this
does not avail, retreat the length of the
room and run full tilt to butt the door with
her head. But when doors are latched,
what is it that people do with d~oor-knobs
to make them open? On this problem, she
studied for weeks; asking to have a door
opened, and then watching the process.
kAI0 ia lO0NA ~ $3.50 - $1,000 N8f
with her speaking countenance say TO her
human friends, Please, please, show your
kittens how you do that" Then she would
stretch UP and put a little white paw on
the knob. and find it impossible to make
it turn. Finally she got a chance, stand
ing on a chair left conveniently near, to try
both fore-pawS at once on the knob.
Finding her strength and grasp quite I'M
equal TO turning it she has given up that
endeavor, but still studies door
tifc interest. One ~unexpiored region
still remains. The picture-molding
which runs round the, rooms continuous
with the tops of doors and windows, is her
inaccessible north pole. She studies it with
longing eyes, then makes a dash for the
POLE by running up the back of a high
tinue the ascent straight up the wall. She
can run up the wall two or three feet,
but then slides back in spite of all her
efforts.
She is anxious to help about the house
work. and her assiduOuS assistance in
spreading out rugs after they have been
shaken, quite ~complicates the process.
Noticing one of her ladies picking dead
leaves off the geraniums, she helped by
picking out the leaves that had dropped
into the hower-pots. and laying them i'm a
neat plea labOFious process when one
was obliged to stop and wash ones dainty
paw after each insertion into the flower
pot. Indeed, the amount of cleaning in
vO1ved in dressing IN pure white fur
through an indianapolis winter is some
thing appalling.