Evening star., 1958-07-13
OF Love
and Laughter
MittenS Gets Lost in q Vast World
OfWeeds, Wilderness and Voter
BY MARJORIE HOLMES

Such a dear little kitty he was, warm and fluffy
and new gazing at you with his pointed baby eyes His
NEW was comical yeep, his purr toy motor boat
rumbling. How daintily he would wash himself, and
how he would play patng at dangled string with his
new little paws rolling over and over npping at his
own bewitching little new tail
And now he is ostl You have taken him the country
and brought him out into the sunshine to roll and play and
chase things in the And become busy with company
and everyone forgot and when finally remember he has
vanished.
Where. kitty, oh where in this vast world of weeds
and wilderness and water-where are you hdngP What
perils have you perhaps already met?
kitty. kitty. kitty" The whole family takes up the
call go find Mittens" the dog is dispatched And
with quick understanding. the sensitive black nose goes
shifting along the ground
"Ndttens Mittens come back. come home!" Its mis-
tress fororn little figure she trudges up the road
and take her hand Together you search of side
trails along banks calling, calling, with mounting sense
Of urgency and despair And after troubled conferences
take the asking neighbors Have you seen little gray
kitty with white paws9 We call him Mittens, though he's
almost too young to know that
So young and dependent. And evening is coming on
Feeling almost guilty, you finally eat supper setting out
first bowl of milk, just in case.
But it stands untouched Even the dog, formerly prone
to wolf it down. skirts it, crouches the floor detected
Oh Mttens! You all fan out again. searching, until its
owner must be put bed distraugh "Oh it's cold out
pleased"
You wake several times in the night listening Is there
scratching the door, the faint tnkng OF little bell?
Blu it's only the wind and toward morning the ra And
you can't bear the picture Of its wandering bewdered-
and that one little gesture made of white lifted
to test this strange world And how is it that
such an inntesmal creature cause entire family
this terrible sense of responsibility and failure?
Morning your little girl rushes to the door But the
bowl Of milk there and the little you've put out
Taking up her burden of grief afresh, she swallows her
breakfast and gets on her coat.
I'm going out to look for him now"
"Tu 60 with you" says her father and together they
set off, And you thnk-at least she'll have the memory OF
companionship in her first loss
At last they return empty handed. Gravely she hangs
up wraps. Mummy. tell honestly. do you think it
will come back?"
Honey, I wish could"
But why did it have to happen? Why-why?"
Because life is like that We make mistakes Even
when we're big and know better still make them and
things lost things dear to Mistakes and loss
part of the life is. They come to everybody.
honey, and we've got to-accept it,
She still prowlS the premises occasionally calling out,
"Kitty here kitty But gradually there is new note in
her voice And after awhile you hear her playing with her
dolls even singing And-thank goodness, you think. We
do get over things. That too, is the way life is! ~
Wednesday, Reed obout the turtles swimming pool h
"of Love and Laughter in the Womens Section