1 72 Baby and the Kitten 



tenish stage of playfulness. It was a case of mutual 

 admiration and friendship from the first. The baby 

 was immensely pleased with the kitten, while the 

 kitten itself looked with wondering eyes at the little 

 child before it. It was evidently its first sight of a 

 baby, and it could hardly understand the diminutive 

 creature. Finally it lifted a little paw on which the 

 claws were carefully gloved, and gently, half playfully 

 and half inquiringly, stroked the baby's chubby hand. 

 The baby seemed to like it, and began to crow and 

 laugh in that highly original manner common with 

 babies. This seemed to close the contract of friend- 

 ship on the part of these two youthful beings, and in 

 a few moments they were frolicking together as hap- 

 pily as could be imagined. 



Whether it was because the new state of things 

 gave the nursemaid more leisure or because the child 

 required less of her attention, she seemed at all events 

 to encourage the friendship that had arisen between 

 Baby and the kitten. And so, with a dainty blue 

 ribbon about its neck, the little bundle of down was 

 permitted to play about the crib and ride in the baby 

 carriage nearly every day. The two became almost 



