The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1910-01-07
PETER

BILE, and very poor. My acquaintance
with him began near the seashore at
the close of a poor fishing season
and was in this wise:
Three years ago, while on a vaca-
ton at Kennebunkport. Me-, as I was
carpentering one morning in my barn,
something soft caressed my ankles.
On looking down, I discovered
starving cat, whose thin sides scarce
ly covered his appealing ribs, and
whose staggering steps betrayed his
famished condition. The story was
plain-here was a waif left over
from the previous season by some
cottager, and who had picked up a
precarious living through the winter
by catching a few fish from the creek
as he was able.
Lifting in my arms the shrunken
remnant Of a cat, I carried him into
the house, where my wife and I pru-
IDENTIFY ministered to his needs. For
the first week he could not walk the
length of the veranda without lying
| down in painting exhaustion; but to-
ward the close of the season he
picked up, and became healthy and
appreciative animal Of course, we
! took him to Tilton, N. H, when we
returned to our home at the end of
the season. He has given up fishing
as an improbable occupation, and
depends on tried friends for all his
J supplies.
His peculiar habits are interesting.
Like most felines, he studies his per-
sonal comfort. The first night he was
allowed to stay in the house he found
his way to the foot of my bed, and
eoiled himself in purring content; he
has been allowed ever since to sleep
at the left corner, near the footboard,
on a cloth spread for his accommoda-
tion.
He is quite social with US, often
following my wife and myself when
/ we go down town in the evening,
sometimes turning three corners be-
fore he leaves us-there are unfriend-
! ly dogs beyond-when he dives into
a garden hedge, and waits for our
return. Two hours later, perhaps,
he comes out from the hedge with a
little cry of gladness and pilots us to
our front door.
He has learned the meaning Of
few words associated with his simple
needs. Are you hungry?" is a ques-
ton that is generally sure to arouse
him from his evening meditation, and
if then asked, "Do you want some
meat?" he starts for the kitchen
where a corner of the floor by the
sink is covered with a folded paper.
His meat is usually placed on this
paper, but he will take a portion
from our fingers and carry it from any
part of the room to his paper. He is
quite particular to keep his food on
his tablecloth, putting it back on the
paper when it slips off in chewing.
NO. No! Nothing more!" is suffi-
cient to end his teasing for addition
al feeding. The question, Peter, do
you want some catnip?" will call him
almost any time to my chamber
where a tin box is kept containing
the fragrant herb.
Gratitude, said to be left out of
cats, is certainly manifested in Peter.
. At the time of feeding, when his meat
is placed on his paper, if I continue
near him, he will cease eating, rub
his head in gratitude against my
hand, and then return to his feed.
He often coaxes US to play ball,
and some other games that he has
learned, but enjoys an hours ram
BILE with us in the woods the best of
anything.
Although Peter is no longer fish
erman, the discipline of that winter
when he WAS an outcast has worked
out for him the profitable fruit of
self-reliance, and enabled him to be-
come the aristocratic lord over his
range at one end Of the street, as in
truding cats and dogs who have felt
the sharp weapons concealed in his
great paws can testify.
But how about the heartless family
at the summer resort who went back
to their fashionable life in the city
and left such an intelligent animal
as Peter to starve?-J. NJ Dmrell, in
Our Dumb Animals.