Evening star., 1926-08-08
This and That
By Charles E. TrdceweH.

Clea nliness is one Of the predomi-
mating physical traits of Jack Spratt,
the cat.
All small boys who do not like tn
wash their hands before meals ought
TO see Jack wash his after dinner.
Youngsters who shrink from the
daily bath should spend few mo
ments contemplating the thorough all
lutions of Jack Spratt or any other
equally clean eat.
Not every cat. he It known. is as
for the first time invariably remark
upon it.
why. how clean he keeps him
SELF they declare.
Some are so astonished at Spratt :
immaculate white shirt front that
they keep on speaking about IT,
Never did see u cat so clean.
they assert Some time later. i'm the
course of general conversation. they
will pause. look at Jack. and say, "iie
certainly does keep his paws white"
When they start To so they will say
good-hy 10 the cat with the parting
words. You certainly are clean
cat.
Jacks coat bowls them over. 80
the English SAY. He scores n "knocN-
ont" He makes hit"
K Z
Something of this effect of course
is due To the fact that most persons
regard animals as dirty creatures. :,
that when they sec really clear
one they are aStOniShed
Now animals. as n rule. are dirty
because of the conditions under which
they live. Even pigs. if given hall
chance, will keep fairly clean Dogs
are by nature smelly" and need the
kindly ministratiunS of their friend.
man. to keep them in prescntable con.
ditiOn.
Nature. however, which keeps the,
animals in good health. also Keeps
thelr coats. If sun. rain and fresh
air are giveIf hall q chance combined
with the cleansing effect of rolls i'm
fresh grass. Even rolling in the dust
is not dirty. in our sense. for the
dirt has something of the action Of
~ clea ansing powder
The domestic house cat however.
easily leads the procession when i,
comes to really being clean He not
only has ancestral habits IN his favor.
but also the rugs. chairs and bed
coverings of his adopted friends. on
which ne can shed his loose hairs and
wipe off accumulated dirt
The net result is that he house cat
stands as the clea nest animal in the
world. We speak principally Of the
short haired variety. the common =
every day "alley ear breed
Jack Spratt, "a tiger specimen, de.
votes hours daily to his toilet Even
In this hot weather lie is az clean aS
Il pin. az they used To say when the
pin was regarded as the acme uf
cleanliness. Today the pin is regarded
with suspicion. Has It been steri-
lized?
Jack sticks out his red tongue
vets his white paw and applies the
latter de>terously tn his ears. first nf
all. giving them a thorough cleaning.
inside AZ well az outside.
Often he turns them inside ou,
presenting most comical aspect.
This does not bother him in the least.
He calmly proceeds to wash his
whiskers, when the ears click right
side out again.
Jack then devotes his attention to
his magnificent shirt front, which
forms sort OF ruiz around his n<=z
and over his chest. This he licks di-
rectly with his tongue, arching his
neck. pOking out his tongue, apply
ing it with a motion which rocks his
whole body.
There seems little rhyme or Tea son
In his toilet after this. but undouh,-
edly during the day he covers prac-
tically his whole anatomy. as any one
may discover who sees Jack living
on his back. feet in air. his white
stomach cleaning like snow.