THE CAT 



The Contemplative Life 



From the dawn of creation the cat has known 

 his place, and he has kept it, practically untamed 

 and unspoiled by man. He has retenue. Of all 

 animals, he alone attains to the Contemplative Life. 

 He regards the wheel of existence from without, 

 like the Buddha. There is no pretence of sym- 

 pathy about the cat. He lives alone, aloft, sub- 

 lime, in a wise passiveness. He is excessively 

 proud; and, when he is made the subject of con- 

 versation, will cast one glance of scorn, and leave 

 the room in which personalities are bandied. All 

 expressions of emotion he scouts as frivolous and 

 insincere, except, indeed, in the ambrosial night, 

 when, free from the society of mankind, he pours 

 forth his soul in strains of unpremeditated art. 

 The paltry pay and paltry praise of humanity 

 he despises, like Edgar Poe. He does not exhibit 

 the pageant of his bleeding heart; he does not 

 howl when people die, nor explode in cries of de- 

 light when his master returns from a journey. 

 With quiet courtesy, he remains in his proper and 

 comfortable place, only venturing into view when 

 something he approves of, such as fish or game, 

 makes its appearance. On the rights of property 

 he is firm. If a strange cat enters his domain, he 

 is up in claws to resist invasion. It was for these 

 qualities, probably, that the cat was worshipped 

 by the ancient Egyptians. Andrew Lang. 



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