The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1918-10-22
Returned to the Land Of the Living

Returned TO the Land OF the Living.
the old lady to the porch, and with
her looked down at the gasping, out
stretched cat
''She's dyinglD walled Mrs. Baker
as she wrung her hands.
maybe it's only a flt and we can
save her. Get dish Of cold water"
The water was brought and thrown
over the grimalkin, and after a long
minute she opened her eyes and re-
turned to the land of the living.
Il am thankful to heavenW piously
exclaimed Mrs. Baker as she rolled her
eyes to the sky.
That day Osborne Chalmers had
decided to take half holiday and a
walk into the country in the after
noon. He also wanted to see the
trees and birds and lambs and holly
hooks and the rest of the things that
make a farmers life so joyful and
innocent that he never sells 10 eggs
for a dozen for fear of hurting the
feelings of 4 buyer.
Mr.. Chalmers saw a crow. He saw
a cow. He saw a smartweed and may
weed and burdocks along the high
way. He was just going to see q lot of
other things to influence him to
buy an S0-acre farm and raise 70 acres
of turnips when he saw cottage, an
old woman, a girl and a blinking old
cat.
"Will you come here?" called the
Widow Baker as he slackened his
pace.
as it anything seriousT he asked
as he entered the gate.
my old cat has had ftp
"Is it possiblel" he replied without
cracking smile.
"And but for this young lady here,
who told me to throw cold water on
the gasping creature, she'd have been
dead by this timer
ut was fit, / suppose?"
''That's it."
aged cats are subject to them,
believe"
"What, will she have anotherY
Every likely to-"
"But what would you advise me to
dol"
1T seems to me the better way
would be to get rid of her. If there
was anything / could do l should
cheerfully do it, but as there is not 1
will go on"
Miss Ruth bad kept a shoulder to
the conversation, and her face was
sober as she turned to the widow and
said: Il have heard that aged cats
are apt to run mad"
LANDS Of mercy!"
"You think a good deal of her, no
doubt, but the safest way is to get rid
Of her. If she runs mad she may bite
you"
But how am l going to get rid of
herr"
"She ought to be carried off and
drowned"
That was all about the cat for a
week, as far as the two outsiders
were concerned. They both had their
walks and returned to their homes.
Very few people would permit a
Widows old cat to disturb their peace
of mind, but in this case the occasion
was furnished by Providence for n
special purpose, and in about three
days Miss Ruth found herself saying
to herself:
81 feel bad for that poor old wom-
an. That cat has got to go, and it
will be- very lonesome around that
house. I'll see if 1 can't buy her an
other somewhere"
And Mr.. Osborne Chalmers found
himself saying to himself: Darn
that old cat Why should | keeT
thinking of heri l never gave cal
two thoughts before. Reckon it was
because 1 met a good-looking girl nj
the same time / met the old cat. Il
the critter has another fit she'll turf
up her toes for good. If | knew
where l could find young cat ! be
.lieve l would carry 1t to her"
Providence even went one better
than that. 1t put the idea into Mis-:
Ruth's head to take another country
walk and see how the old cat go
along. If she had another fit ant
died Of it she would surely promise
another cat. Accordingly, she walked
Il believe I'll Just take walk GU
there" said Mr.. Chalmers. "Seem'
too bad for that cat to die, wher
perhaps a word from me would saw
her life to be a joy to the old woman