OHDEIl V. THE CAKNIVOUA. 151 



sat by nic, and caressed inc ia every possiljle way. She had always heen 

 in the habit of going down to breakfast witli tlie ladj^ of the house ; but on 

 this morning she had rcsi.-ted all lier coaxing to leave my door, and would 

 not move a step till I had made my appearance. iSlic had never done tiiis 

 before, and never did it again. She had shown her gratitude to me for the 

 care of lier little ones, and her duty was done." 



The PiiiLAXTHiionc Cat. — "A country gentleman of our acquaintance, 

 who is neither a friend to thieves nor poachers, has at this lUDment in liis 

 household a favorite cat, whose honesty, he is sorry to say, there is but too 

 much reason to call in cpicstion. The animal, however, is fir from being 

 selfish in her principles, for iicr acceptable gleanings she regularly divides 

 among the children of the family in which her lot is cast. It is the iiabit of 

 this grimalkin to leave tlie kitchen or parlor as often as iumger and an 

 opportunity may occur, an<l wend her way to a certain pastry-cook's simp, 

 where, the better to conceal her purpose, she endeavors slyly to ingratiate 

 herself into favor with the mistress of tlie house. As soon as the shop- 

 keeper's attention becomes engrossed in business or otherwise, puss con- 

 trives to jiilfer a small pie or tart from the shelves on which they are placed, 

 speedily afterwards making the best of her way home with her booty. 



" She then carefully delivers her prize to some of the little ones in the 

 nursery. A division of tlie stolen property ijuickly takes place ; and here 

 it is singularly amusing to observe the sagacious animal, not the least con- 

 spicuous among tlie numerous group, thankfully muneiiing her share of the 

 illegal traffic. Wc may add, that tiie pastry-cook is by no means disposed 

 to institute a legal process against poor ISIrs. Puss, as the children of the 

 gentleman to whom we allude are honest enough to acknowledge their four- 

 footed playmate's failings to papa, who willingly compensates any damage 

 the shopkeeper may sustain from the petty de[iredatiuns of the would-be 

 philanthropic cat." 



MuKUEUEKS DISCOVERED BY A Cat. — In the month of July, ISll, 

 a woman was murdered in Paris. A magistrate, accompanied by a Jihy- 

 sician, went to the place where the murder had been committed, to examine 

 the body. It was lying upon the floor, and a greyhound, who was standing 

 by the corpse, licked it from time to time, and howled mournfully. When 

 the gentlemen entered the apartment, he ran to them without barking, and 

 then returned, with a melancholy mien, to the body of his murdered mistress. 

 Upon a chest, in a corner of the room, a cat sat motionless, with eyes, ex- 

 pressive of furious indignation, steadfastly fixed upon the body. ]\Iany 

 jiersons now entered the apartment ; but neither the appearance of such a 

 crowd of strangers, nor the confusion that prevailed in the place, could make 

 her change her position. 



