124 BERTHA'S VISIT TO HER 



of the listing being wetted, each of them acted 

 like a syphon, drawing the water up over the 

 edge of the pot, as my uncle says by capil- 

 lary action, anjj conducting it slowly and regu- 

 larly into the ground. The moisture spread to 

 the roots, and in three days the young leaves 

 began to revive. The pots were filled every 

 morning, and she changed the listing once a 

 week, as the filaments of the cloth became 

 clogged, and the water was not so freely trans- 

 mitted. The daily improvement of the tree was 

 very gratifying to my uncle, who enjoyed Mary's 

 ingenuity and success; and even the gardener 

 has this morning pronounced it to be out of 

 danger. 



ISth. I am afraid that my dear mamma 

 will call me a little credulous simpleton when 

 she reads this account of the singular sagacity of 

 a cat ; but my aunt took great pains to ascertain 

 that it was quite correct. 



Dame Moreland has some remarkably fine 

 cats, and she is in the constant habit of drowning 

 all their progeny, except one kitten of her fa- 

 vourite, Mrs. Snowtip's, which she selects with 

 due attention to its beauty. This time, however, 

 pussy thought proper to choose that one for 

 herself, and carrying it from the garden into the 

 house, she left the rest to perish. Accustomed 



