A Poet to the Rescue 



=THE CAT 



Passing yesterday from the greenhouse to the 

 barn, I saw three kittens (for we have so many in 

 our retinue) looking with fixed attention at some- 

 thing which lay coiled up on the threshold of a 

 door. I took but little notice of them at first ; but 

 a loud hiss engaged me to attend more closely, when 

 behold — a viper ! the largest I remember to have 

 seen, rearing itself, darting its forked tongue, and 

 ejaculating the aforementioned hiss at the nose of 

 a kitten, almost in contact with its lips. I ran into 

 the hall for a hoe with a long handle, with which 

 I intended to assail him, and, returning in a few 

 seconds, missed him: he was gone, and I feared 

 had escaped me. Still, however, the kittens sat 

 watching immovably upon the same spot. I con- 

 cluded therefore that, sliding between the door and 

 the threshold, he had found his way out of the 

 garden into the yard. I went round immediately, 

 and there found him in close conversation with the 

 old cat, whose curiosity, being excited by so novel 

 an appearance, inclined her to pat his head repeat- 

 edly with her fore foot, — with her claws, however, 

 sheathed, and not in anger, but in the way of philo- 

 sophical inquiry and examination. To prevent her 

 falling a victim to so laudable an exercise of her 



152 



