Union Square Jim 71 



The only beings he saw or knew were George and 

 Frank, and he naturally looked up to them as his 

 god-parents. And well did they fill the office. It 

 seemed to be their special amusement to plan for 

 little Jim, to teach him tricks, and, in general, to 

 educate him properly. At first he was too full of 

 life and far too frisky to grasp the meaning of any- 

 thing but play. Tricks to him were only another 

 form of frolic. Nothing was too large or too small 

 for him to play with. A huge old rocking-chair, 

 with its ponderous motion, was a delight to him ; 

 while a feather sailing across the floor simply set 

 him wild with glee. George purchased a little 

 rubber ball, and it was kept pretty busy most of 

 the time bounding away from the kitten's active 

 paws. The student of grace can find no better 

 teacher than a young kitten. Every act is natural, 

 each movement is the c poetry of motion.' Such 

 grace and such life can only come from the perfec- 

 tion of animal happiness. 



But few kittens had such surroundings or such 

 trainers as had Jim. Thrown only in contact with 

 George and Frank, he instinctively studied their 



