The Western outlook., 1915-05-22
MIDNIeHTs FIRST LESSON FROM
SNOWFALL.

'G0Od morning., said SNOWMAN, as
he met Midnight the next morning
after he had brought the kitten home
from the city; hope you had good
sleep and that you feel better this
morning than you did yesterday when
/ saw you by the side Of masters
wagon"
II had a fine Sleep" said Midnight,
for the bed was the softest | ever
slept on, and there we're no noises
to disturb me, and ! was warm all
night, and that is something / have
not enjoyed for long time"
Kit and Puff came In just then and
said "Good morning" to SNOWFALL, but
did not notice Midnight
Something the matter with your
eyesight this morning?' asked Snow
ball, as he noticed Kit and Puff had
only said Good morning" to him.
"Cant you see that Midnight is here?"
Kit and Puff knew well enough what
Snowfall meant, and not wishing to
openly offend him, they said Good
Amorning" to Midnight, but in very
naughty way and without looking in
his direction.
"Are you going to breakfasts" they
said, as they passed SNOWFALL, and he
kept on walking toward the kitchen.
IT shall be there very shortly" said
Snowfall, and walked over to where
Midnight was sitting.
When he got over close to the kitten
he sat down, and, after waiting for a
minute, he said: do you know what
a cat ought to be, above everything
else?"
Il don't know that do" said Mid
night. "You see, | am not very old
yet"
'Well, your youth is no disadvan-
tage," said SNOWFALL; but cat first
Of all ought to be good He ought to
be truthful and honest, he ought not
to take things that do not belong to
him, and he ought to be kind and not
get angry. But next to being good, he
ought to be clean. My master says
that cleanliness is next to goodness,
and. as he never told me, don't know
whether goodness comes first or not;
but, anyway, they are right next to
each other.
Now Il Is perfectly plain to me
that, however good kitten you may
be, you certainly are not clean. There
is mud on your paws that was there
yesterday when picked you up in the
street, and your mustache has cobwebs
on it that know you never got here,
for mistress is too neat to have cob
webs about her house"
Il didn't suppose" said Midnight,
"that a little mud made any differ
ence, and as for cobwebs hadn't no
ticed them at all"
WELL" said SNOWFALL, last night |
told you / was going to teach you to
be real cat, and am going to begin
by teaching you how necessary it Is
to be clean. Breakfast is ready In
the kitchen, and suppose that Kit
and Puff are already eating theirs, but
you cannot go into the kitchen and
cannot have any breakfast until you
have all the mud off your whiskers
and until you are very much cleaner
than you are now, and do not want
you ever again to come down to break
fast without having thoroughly
washed your face and brushed your
coat"
'How win get the mud OFF," asked
Midnight, for I know it is stuck on
very hard. / got lot of it on when a
dray drove by and the wheels splashed
a lot of dirty water on me-"
Come out in the barn. said Snow
ball, and will show YOU
When they got to the barn SNOWFALL
found a place on the side of the door
where there was rough board, and
leaning his body up against it he
pushed as hard as he could, walking
forward at the same time.
you try doing that few times and
see If it doesn't feel good to your Cat
and clean 1t at the same time"
Midnight tried it somewhat awk-
wardly three or four times, and then
SNOWFALL said Turn around and
rub the other side" Midnight did as
he was told, and pretty soon all the
mud was rubbed of.
'Now," said SNOWFALL, you see that
round hole in the door. That is for US
cats to go in and out when the door
is closed. You go through there stand
ing up just as straight as you can and
rubbing your back hard against the
top Of the hole
Midnight followed this direction, and
after few trips through the hole he
had rubbed all the mud off his back.
That's a little rougher treatment
than you will have to have when you
are once thoroughly cleaned" ex-
planned SNOWFALL; land now | want
you to smooth your fur and wash your
face
How shall do it?" asked Midnight.
with your tongue, this way" and
SNOWFALL began licking his sleek fur,
already glossy from the bath which he
had taken as soon as he woke. And
you wash your face like this" he ex-
planned, tapping his paw and rubbing
his face with it.
Midnight worked hard. to do as
SNOWFALL had shown him, and while
Cnnuhai1 pnaa ciou aIlv louohad u,hap'