Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-05-05
This and That
By Charles E. TrGcesCeH.

One thing which has always struck
us about cats is how decent they are as
a general run.
OF the "a cats Of all sorts and ages
which have come to our home in the
past fve years, only 2 have been
other than thorough gentlemen and
| ladies.
Twenty-Five were at all times well
hammered and well conducted. They
possessed that grave dignity which only
animals seem to have, apart from those
men who have something animal-like In
their countenances.
| Let us pause long enough to remind
the reader that the term "animal-like"
is by no means an inimical one. The
brute creation has many admirable
characteristics. Especially in physical
appearance the so-called dumb crea-
lures are striking. Who has not seen
great shaggy Newfoundland? We have
seen chow dog the exact image of a
well known parsonage.
Il \
The 20 good cats were amazingly de-
cent and well behaved. when it was
taken into consideration that they were
simply the run Of the alley. The other
2 were cats evidently without any
sort Of homes whatever, freebooters of
the feline circles. There is q wide DIFF
ference between out-and-out alley cats
and cats which roam the alley. Our
2 bad cats were Of the former class
Their paw was raised against every
man because their experience had been
that way. They accepted food on sus-
picion. and would not tolerate a caress
because a descending hand to them,
meant only one thing-a blow.
If one were to take the first two
dozen dogs that came by into his home,
how many times do you suppose he
would be bit? II he were to show hos
pitality to the first a. human beings
who passed his door how many times
would he be robbed or insulted2 Per-
haps the answers to these q1ess4oNs
must depend largely upon ones tenn
permanent, but he who has had expert
ence with the three Of them will prob
ably be willing to admit that he would
keep his eye on the men and dogs. The
cats are harmless.
BY harmless we mean, of course, well
behaved. Nature seems to have given
them sort of understanding Of what
mankind demands of them In its
homes
We have taken in wandering cats, as
the guests of Jack Spratt (much to the
disgust Of that striped fellow, who
came in and stretched themselves out
as sedately on the living room rug as
II 1t were their own home they were
in Whether kitten or full grown cat,
each one of the ~ showed full appre-
citation of the hospitality granted. Such
investigation as each cat was called
upon to make of its surroundings, un-
der the mysterious and immutable laws
which govern its tribe. was carried on
determinedly but modestly.
While a most normal and wholesome
interest was shown in the good things
of the table, no cat jumped up thereon
until taught to do so. A nice slice of
beefsteak left exposed on the kitchen
table is a temptation no cat has right
to resist. Few will. Such a tranSgreS-
sion cannot be counted against them,
and will not be by those who under
stand that If they. too, were cats, they
would act in precisely the same man
ner.
Wherefore we call our cat visitors
gentlemen and ladies all. They have
brought beauty and grace and interest
with them, and have invariably taken
away with them q full stomach and the
memory. Of sundry pats on the head.
We think the exchange is even.