THE CAT TO-DAY 243 



her supplies. Accordingly she brought home one 

 day a lean cottage animal to share the feast ; ob- 

 serving which, her master laid out for her a double 

 portion the following morning. Rejoiced to see 

 her opportunities for good thus unexpectedly in- 

 creased, the philanthropic cat journeyed further into 

 the village, and summoned a second impecunious 

 pussy. Her master added a third plate to the dinner 

 table. She found a third guest, and then a fourth 

 and fifth ; until, as the meals kept increasing, she 

 often had twenty pensioners around her generous 

 board, all of whom, we are assured, recognized their 

 position, and behaved with respectful propriety. 



Stories of virtuous cats who cannot be tempted 

 to dishonesty ; of faithful cats who watch over chil- 

 dren confided to their care ; of affectionate cats 

 who live on terms of sweet serenity with birds, and 

 puppies, and guinea pigs, and white mice, would 

 seem to prove — could we but credit them — that, 

 of all four-footed prigs, Pussy is the most funda- 

 mentally priggish. These annals reach their climax 

 in the affecting narrative of a Norfolk lady, whose 

 pious Maltese — having apparently read "The Fair- 

 child Family," and " Elsie Dinsmore," — not only 

 attended family prayers with circumspection, but 

 obliged her unfortunate kittens to be present, cuff- 

 ing them fervently if they betrayed any restless- 

 ness under the ordeal. 



