The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1919-01-07
Evening Chat

"A home without both q cat and 81
dog Is hardly worth considering. u
said to my family last night: 1--WE
really ought to have a cat! Our dog
is growing selfish!" Today / think
cat was sent by Providence for Just as
l reached my home last evening, q
small, thin. miserable, starved looking
creature in the shape Of kitten, at
tracted my attention. She tried three
times to get In past some one coming
out OF the house next to me but in
spite Of painfully lean size, was not
able to make 1t. She meowed in a
most tantilizingly unhappy minor key
and when for the third time door
was shut hard with the parting words,
Get out" ] stopped to say word.
Its tough luck, kitten" / remarked.
Haven't you any home at all? You're
certainly a dirty little mite and mercy
me, You aren't big enough to be out in
such cold weather! don't believe
you would suit me or I'd take you
home! Get OF my coat! Why you lit.
tie imp!" That kitten, encouraged by
conversation actually gave one wild
leap and after getting good hold OF
my coat with her sharp claws, climb.
ed straight on up where the noise she
had Just been hearing began and end
ed. looked down into the tiniest
face imaginable; with white nose
and white line running up her fore.
head and small black spots on top OF
her head. The rest Of her was white,
q sooty white. She had three tiny
black spots on her body and q tail
black from beginning to end. Under.
meath each paw was stamped small
black spot. So cleyerly was she mark.
ed here and there with small black
spots that ! Immediately fell In love
with her and after one last look at the
besecching face-yegging so hard for
some sort OF shelter al. food, too.
her inside my house.
She was a wret~..s4,, dirty kitts
and had to have two baths before all
the CRIME was removed. she was so
thin that when thoroughly wet, she
looked like q half-dead sparrow.
There seemed to be absolutely nothing
inside of her. While / held her tight.
~ In q pan Of warm water and scruv,
bed, she rocked up at me wildly, clutch.
ing at anything and everything when.
ever she got the chance, though held
all four paws most Of the time. Great
heavens but that kitten could hold
her nose high ont Of anger. She
stretched her neck so hard to keep
from getting drop Of water in her
eyes and her whole expression said
so very plainly-"For PHYS sake,
don't let anything happen to me-" that
liaughed until the tears came.
After 1t was over she grew rather
weak and offered little resistance
when ! laid her out on the rug before
blazing fire and rubbed. I wasn't
sure she would be worth looking at
for some time. At first she looked Just
like an ugly title rat but alter d while
her fur besaA to dry fluffiiy and the
Wilderness Of her began to come out
plain and the black spots shone beau.
tifully and-say, boy, but she was a
darling! She was awfully small-nol
more than eight inches one way and l
was afraid TO measure across the 9th.
er way. When decided 1t was time
for warm milk, my kitten was ready
for 1t. During her bath talked in
this manner: Il suppose you think you
should have been fed first but that
isn't the way we do things in this
house II you are going to stay here,
you'll have to be clean right of the
bat! After that, well see! ! don't
know how you are going TO get along
with our dog; but it's too late to back
out now! You'll have to use tact and
diplomacy and learn to use your claws
II necessary and you can't start too
young. There now"
Did you ever watch a young animal
enjoy fire? This poor. frozen mite
had very evidently been unfamiliar
. I {