154 AUNT ESTHER'S RULES. 



Aunt Esther was a great advocate for killing animals, and, 

 tender-hearted as she was, she gave us many instructions 

 in the kindest and quickest way of disposing of one whose 

 life must be sacrificed. 



Her instructions sometimes bore most remarkable fruits. 

 I recollect one little girl, who had been trained under Aunt 

 Esther's care, was once coming home from school across 

 Boston Common, when she saw a party of noisy boys and 

 dogs tormenting a poor kitten by the side of the frog pond. 

 The little wretches would throw it into the water, and then 

 laugh at its vain and frightened efforts to paddle out, while 

 the dogs added to its fright by their ferocious barking. 

 Belle was a bright-eyed, spirited little puss, and her whole 

 soul was roused in indignation ; she dashed in among the 

 throng of boys and dogs, and rescued the poor half-drowned 

 little animal. The boys, ashamed, slunk away, and little 

 Belle held the poor, cold, shivering little creature, consider- 

 ing what to do for it. It was half dead already, and she 

 was embarrassed by the reflection that at home there was 

 no room for another pet, for both cat and kitten never 

 were wanting in their family. "Poor kit," she said, "you 

 must die, but I will see that you are not tormented " ; 

 and she knelt bravely down and held the little thing under 

 water, with the tears running down her own cheeks, till all 

 its earthly sorrows were over, and little kit was beyond the 

 reach of dog or boy. 



