The Book of Cats. 155 



much, but this I must affirm, that they are mis- 

 represented, and often the victims of prejudice. It 

 is strictly maintained that they have little or no 

 affection (or persons, and that their partialities are 

 confined to places. I have known many instances 

 of the reverse. When leaving, about fifteen years 

 ago, a glebe-house to remove into Dublin, the Cat 

 that was a favourite with me, and with my children, 

 was left behind, in our hurry. On seeing strange 

 faces come into the house, she instantly left it, and 

 took up her abode in the top of a large cabbage 

 stalk, whose head had been cut off, but which re- 

 tained a sufficient number of leaves to protect poor 

 Puss from the weather. In this position she re- 

 mained, and nothing could induce her to leave it, 

 until I sent a special messenger to bring her to my 

 house in town. At present I have a Cat that 

 follows my housekeeper up and down like a Dog ; 

 every morning she comes up at daybreak in winter 

 to the door of the room in which the maid servants 

 sleep, and there she mews until they get up." 



I think I ought to conclude my chapter of Clever 

 Cats with this story, which, though old, is funny : — 

 There was a lady of Potsdam, living with her little 

 children, one of whom, while at play, ran a splinter 



