TJie Book of Cats. 253 



while towards the others they comport themselves 

 with the utmost indifference. " I remember," says a 

 lady, " there was a Cat with her Kittens found in a 

 hole in the wall, in the garden of the house where 

 my father-in-law lived. One of the kittens, being a 

 very beautiful black one, was brought into the 

 house, and almost immediately attached himself in 

 a very extraordinary way to me. I was in mourn- 

 ing at the time, and, perhaps, the similarity of the 

 hue of my dress to his sable fur, might first have 

 attracted him ; but, however this may have been, 

 whenever he came into the room, he constantly 

 jumped into my lap, and evinced his fondness by 

 purring and rubbing his head against me in a very 

 coaxing manner. He continued thus to distinguish 

 me during the rest of his life ; and though I went 

 with my father-in-law's family every winter to 

 Dublin, and every summer to the country, the 

 cliange of abode (to which Cats are supposed to be 

 averse) never troubled my favourite, provided he 

 could be with me. Frequently, when we have been 

 walking home, after spending the evening out, he 

 has come running down half the street to meet us, 

 testifying the greatest delight. On one occasion, 

 when I had an illness, which confined me for up- 

 wards of two months to my room, poor Lee Boo 



