Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-10-30

In these days Of unemployment It Is
well to recall that charity has long been
. virtue among men.
Kindness TO snimals Is a reflex Of
kindness to mankind.
In Emile Zola's TIE JOY of Living.
which vas considered in part in TINS
column recently. the character Ct the
cat, Minouche, is brought out by deit
touches here and there
There would be no cat in the story,
however. II the character CT the heroine
we're different.
The girls active charity now spread
over al the ne.ghborhood. the reader is
told. she had an instructive affection
fer the wretched and she was never re-
PEELED by their forlorn condition.
She even carried this feeling so far
as 10 patch up the broken legs Of fowls
with Splinters of wood and to set bowls
OF pap OUTSIDE at night for homeless
cats
Fortunate vas Minouche to live with
such q family, one of whose members
thought of the wandering cats and set
cut bowls of bread and milk for them
This is an action much more COM
mon than many persons would believe
Leftover foods of all sorts, set cut in
cold weather for homeless dogs and
cats, usually have vanished by morn
ing
Those who really love the animals dc
rot feel that strays should be harmed
but that they should be redeemed, II
possible. by the only method available
with the brute creatures-good food.
*
The story brings the reader the i'll
ness and convalescence of the heroine
and the following characteristic para
graph
Her convalescence was heralded ir
by long slumbers. She slept for whole
days. quite calmly. breathing easily
and regularly, stepped in strength-re-
storing stupor. Minouche. who had been
banished from the room during her Pc
Rod of prostration. took advantage OF
this quietness to slip in again.
She jumped lightly upon the bed
and Immediately lay down there. mes
Ting beside her mistress. Indeed. she
spent whole days on 1t. reveling in the
Warmth of the blankets or making ar
interminable toilet, wearing away hel
fur by constant licking. but performing
each operation with such supple light
ness that Pauline could not even tell
she was moving"
Only a sympathetic and deep OBJ
server of cats could draw that picture
or the following a Characterization OF
announcer young ldQy III Tic Sloiy.
"She was like Minouche, in this re-
spect. content to be caressing so long
as her own enjoyment was not inter
fered with"
The irritable condition Of q sick
mans mind is brought out in one por-
ton of the story, as the father grumbles
She has gone away. the heartless girl
All, If were to Gle there would only
be Minouche left 10 close my eyes.
He calls for the dog, Matthew. te
keep him company. But 1t was ir
Minouche, rather than in Matthew. that
he found q faithful associate, for the
cat reveled in the close, warm atmoS-
phere of sick rooms, and spent her days
lying on a couch near the bed"
And then comes paragraph which
shows the master observer Of the do
mestic cat:
However. when the patient gave q
more than usually loud cry she seemed
surprised. and turned upon him, sitting
on her tail. and staring at him with
her big round eyes, in which glisteneo
the indignant establishment of a sober
philosophic nature whose tranquility
had been deeply disturbed. What coulc
possess him to make all that disagree
able and useless ncise?"
A cat must, indeed, take life phil
oSophically, as the following shows.
His cries grew more and more des-
perate, till they at last seriously dis.
turbed Minouche, who had a family Of
four kittens thrown away that morn