THE CAT 



Discipline 



A female cat is kept young in spirit and supple 

 in body by the restless vivacity of her kittens. 

 She plays with her little ones, fondles them, pur- 

 sues them if they roam too far, and corrects them 

 sharply for all the faults to which feline infancy 

 is heir. A kitten dislikes being washed quite as 

 much as a child does, especially in the neighbour- 

 hood of its ears. It tries to escape the infliction, 

 rolls away, paddles with its little paws, and behaves 

 as naughtily as it knows how, until a smart slap 

 brings it suddenly back to subjection. Pussy has 

 no confidence in moral suasion, but implicitly fol- 

 lows Solomon's somewhat neglected advice. I was 

 once told a pleasant story of an English cat who 

 had reared several large families, and who, dozing 

 one day before the nursery fire, was disturbed and 

 annoyed by the whining of a fretful child. She 

 bore it as long as she could, waiting for the nurse 

 to interpose her authority ; then, finding passive en- 

 durance had outstripped the limits of her patience, 

 she arose, crossed the room, jumped on the sofa, 

 and twice with her strong soft paw, which had 

 chastised many an erring kitten, deliberately boxed 

 the little girl's ears, — after which she returned to 

 her slumbers. 



The Fireside Sphinx, Agnes Repplier. 

 156 



