THE ANGLER'S SOUVENIR. 



i6q 



always mistaken for each other, and were col- 

 lectively named "Bronze;" a tabby, a black, and 

 a grey one of great beauty, called "Chin," from 

 its likeness to chinchilla fur. They were intended 

 to be brought up about the farm-buildings to keep 

 down the mice, and they had never been in the 

 house. The Gipsy took them under her especial 

 care while she remained at Rosesbower, and the 

 consequence was that they were always in the house, 

 curled up on the chairs one wished to sit down 

 upon, or chasing the croquet-balls, or climbing up 

 the standard-roses trying to catch the flycatchers. 

 The grey one was the Gipsy's especial favourite, 

 and Herbert got into her black books because he, 

 one day, floured it all over, and took it to her as a 

 new kitten, and she began to pet it, and did not 

 discover the deception until her hands and dress 

 were all over flour. 



Now, as we (the singular) lie in the hammock 

 studying (well, reading a novel !), the six kittens 

 are all on the lawn, wild for play, and there are 

 three men with fishing-rods on the verandah, and 

 to the ends of their lines are tied corks ; and with 

 these corks they are angling for the kittens, which 

 seize the bait, and tug away at it, and run out lino 

 most bravely. Nor do they let go until they arc 

 dragged in to the very feet of the anglers. It is a 

 very fair imitation of fishing, and it has this ad- 

 vantage that the anglecs like it as well as the 

 anglers. The Gipsy is present, and is looking very 



