Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1913-03-17
Cat Who Became Climber"

weaknesses. We have lately found
social ambition to be one of them The
present writer owns a cat in whom
this trait is strongly marked. Elderly
: and thin, anXious-eyed, active, and
ugly, she has already passed three
| quarters of her allotted span in the
stables, and has seemed content with
the state of life in which she was born
and in which she has already brought
up many families. Late in life she
has conceived an idea of lettering her
position, or, to be more accurate, of
pushing her children into a higher
social sphere-one to which she her
self, with her shabby gray coat and
hardworking appearance, feels herself
to he unsuited. OF her last litter of
kittens two handsome young toms
were allowed to survive, and for these
two her natural aftection-not always
quite absorbing-would seem to be
limitless. During their earlier kitten
hood they and their mother endured q
move. They We're packed in a basket
and driven to d new home. There was
no question of their being given away;
their owners moved at the same time.
The change did not unsettle the moth
or in the least, and the kittens were
too young to notice that they had eX-
changed one stable for another. While
they were, so to speak, in the nursery
stage the cat seemed to be very quiet
but net unhappy. She dozed a great
deal by the harnessroom fire and
joined less than usual in her child
ren's games. Her future plan of ae-
tian H..
head. When one is no longer young a
change of home leads thoughtful per-
sons 10 consider the fight of time.
Perhaps the thought of advancing
years began In prey upon the poor
cats mind. Perhaps she felt that if
anything was to be done toward rails
ing the family position it must be done
now. Anyhow the thrors of unselfsh
discomfort drove her to a resolution.
She determined that the two sons of
her old age should leave the stable
and be brought up as house cats
Daily she brought her kittens To the
htehen-indeed. one might almost say
hourly, for they were not welcomed by
the cook, who constantly carried them
outside. The mother always followed
them out, but did not permit them to
return To the shelter of the stable
They remained just outside whatever
the weather, and at the first opportuni-
ty she brought them back. once or
twice the dog chased her away, and
for two or three mornings she came
alone to reconnoiter. If the dog was
not to be seen she called the kittens.
whom she had left in the yard. and
onee more Id them into the kitchen.
In Drawing the dog she ran a slight
risk, one which, judging by her scared
and glittering eyes, she did not UNI
derrate. The dog is a collie His ele-
giant figure, his long nose and superb
manner. proclaim his breeding. To
all those who keep their place he is
bon prince" but once let them pre-
sumo and he sneers a very ugly sheer.
Nothing makes him more angry than
to meet stable acquaintance indoors.
All the outdoor cats fear him-except
in the stable yard and under the eye
of their protector the eoachman. our
Climber knew all this but she had
counted the cost. Gees mere de famlle
sent capables de tout"
Like most persons who perseevre in
an endeavor at the risk of their skins.
she succeeded. She has esta blished
her young people. ana is returning to
stable life. Misfortune favored her,
The horse trod by accident-on the
paw of one Of the kittens His mother
traded shamelessly upon the injury.
and the indoor authorities decided
that lame kitten could not be made
n q on
test was over. The cat had won.
1t is not easy for one who does not
live in feline society to understand
why she Gid it, The sphere from
which she removed her kittens was in
many ways more desirable than that
into which she pushed them. The
coaehman is a great deal more fond
of cats than the cook is, and all her
life she has never missed a dinner nor
wanted champion in distress. Once
she got caught in It trap, but her
screams were heard. and the coach
man got up at an unearthly hour for
many mornings in the hope of catch
ing the boy who set the trap. The cook
would not have got out of bed five
minutes sooner for any such altruistie
revenge. For one thing she is a wild
oW, and her mind is set upon the So
cal advancement OF her own little
boy. She feeds the cats well because
she gets great pleasure from the sight
OF the demolition Of food, the thought
OF IT'S necessary replacement, and the
circulation Of money thereby OCCASION
ed, but she is not in sympathy with
animals. Yet the eat thought it better
for her sons to be under her than TO
remain in their original position Every
| rung of the social ladder appears at
tractlVe from below. In the kitchen
there is already cat, sort of haugh-
ty rich man, a half-bred Persian who
thinks the world of himself. He seems
TO be amused by the sight of the kit
tens gamhos but though he stares
from the top of the meat screen. he
never joins them. He is on speaking
terms with the collie, and they pro-
badly have a good many views and
interests in common, though the cat
is a sceptic and the dog a man-wor-
shipper. The only evident advantage
IN indoor life is that it is more en-
tertalning. 1t is nearer, as we say. to
THE CpDtpr pf tbit,rs ,,a.,o,. 4laA