The Republican journal., 1916-08-03
ANIMAL STORIES.
By Mrs. Grace c. d. Favre, formerly Miss
Grace c. Denslow.

OF age, goes back to dear little Buttons,
real old-fashioned tabby cat. He was
part and parcel of my daily life, for bis
playful W 4ys and agile tricks beguiled
many childish hour.
He was by turns my real live baby
doll, or my fierce panther of the jungle,
according to tender or a Wild Indian
mood.
When my infant cousin slept in the
afternoon Buttons was duly wrapped in a
bit of cloth and put to sleep in darken-
ed room, sitting patiently beside him
for half an hour or more. | remember
he some times rebelledl
Then came some sad days when But
tons first sickened, and then died, giving
me my first contact with the grim des-
troyer. | incurred the displeasure of
the whole family by calmly and candidly
declaring my belief that I should some
day see Buttons again. That was many
years ago, but my faith in the future life
for animals has never wavered.
Later on, several summers spent wit h
an aunt who simply adored cats made me
their staunch defenders for always. How
well | remember Buttercup, Trotwood,
Blossom, Pcwdienose, Betsey, Topsy,
Tiny and Tim!
Then followed many years on the wild
rocky coast of Maine, with Fluff, the
first of our many coon cats. She lived
to be eighteen. Gentle old Fluff! How
we loved her, and how we missed her!
Her kittens were perennial sources of
Joy and amusement to US, and she herself
the best-beloved of faithful Beppo, the
Newfoundland dog, who aided and abetted
her In everything, and was as anxious
over her numerous progeny as she was
herself. He always aided in the care of
them, guarding them jealousy when
Fluff was off mouse-hunting. We gave
her kittens to all the countryside, from
Bangor to Rockland.
Fritz, one of Fluff's many sons. had
his own part in an artists life; and Mon
sieur, study In black and white, follow
ed US to Auburndale for the winter.
Monsieur loved to ride with me on nv
tricycle., and was most adroit in keeping
his balance.
Such playful, dear little affectionate
creature, so luxurious in his tastes and
so dainty IN his habits!
When we returned to Maine for the
summer he always travelled with US in
basket, and, with butt of his head,
would pop off the cover now and then to
look out of the window at his leisure
He was never any trouble, and seemed
to reason out things for himself.
Jack and Jill were two pure white
short haired kittens given to US by an
cd farmer from the Passag
The place of their birth was facetiously
suggested to US as a name for the kit
tens, the idea being that we might even
divide the work In half and let the kit
tens share lt-Passagassa and Waukeag!
Ii is an old Indian name for the lovely
river which winds in and out of Belfast,
Maine.
The two kittens were inseparable, and
played and romped happily in the gardens
and fields of Selgraden,
Such independence as those two small
imps displayed-plnk noses poked into
everything they were truly the joy of
the whole household. They made such a
pretty picture, cured up together fast
asleep on the hearthstone before the
blazing pine-logs Of our own Maine
woods.
We kept Jack and Jill for many years
in health and happiness, the sweet dears!
Then poor Jack was accidentally drown
ed IN the cistern in the cellar, rotten
plank being his undoing. We all felt
very sad, and Jill, we soon saw, could
not long survive her loss. She certainly
dropped and became istless from that
day, though everything was done to
cheer and solace her.
Animals, like some people, have very
tender, sensitive hearts, and love unto
the end. Their going made big void in
our country home, and so dependent upon
living, happy, healthy little folk of the
animal world were we all that we missed
our familiar Jack and Jill for many
long year after.
Menelick, coal black coon cat, shared
our home for some years, and then
rather mysteriously disappeared.
In Canada, where my happy school
days passed. we had Pierrette, a huge
tortolseshell cat. She was the pet and
playfellow of over a hundred girls, and
she invaric bly, replied "Mi-aow" to any
question we might ask her, to our I'm
limited merriment.
Hafz, the Persian, of more recent
memory, stands out as the loveliest of
all my cats, and he will finish this brief
sketch of my furry little friends. Such
an autocrat! Pure white. with blue
eyes, anu d lOIS lIliC VI IlluoIllou' Aoi
bears to give him pride of mien. His
prediction was for the cosiest corners
and the softest cushions. He loved peo-
pie, but scorned others of his own kind.
He felt in some way his quite obvious
superiority. He had some qualities not
usually attributed to the feline race.
But in all he was "a thing of beauty ard
a joy for ever"
All, dear pussies, how have loved you
always! Yours was the kinship which
from youth to senility never pals.
The present incumbent of our hearth
stone is over two thousand years old,
and rejoices in the name of Horus. We
found him on the Upper Nile three years
ago, and we like to think that he may
have been the petted. even the adored,
favourite of an Egyptian king. His eyes
! are always fixed in silent scrutiny. His
small body is enveloped in bands of cost
Hest linen adorned with gilded ornamen-
| tation. For our Horus is cat-mummy
| from Pharaoh Land.
GRACE C. D. FAVRE.