Concerning the ^^ Pretty Lady" 



moment of ignorance I " disposed of " at once. Nat- 

 urally, the young mother fell exceedingly ill. In the 

 most pathetic way she dragged herself after me, 

 moaning and beseeching for help. Finally, I suc- 

 cumbed, went to a neighbor's where several superflu- 

 ous kittens had arrived the night before, and begged 

 one. It was a little black fellow, cold and half dead ; 

 but the Pretty Lady was beside herself with joy 

 when I bestowed it upon her. For two days she 

 would not leave the box where I established their 

 headquarters, and for months she refused to wean it, 

 or to look upon it as less than absolutely perfect. I 

 may say that the Pretty Lady hved to be nine 

 years old, and had, during that brief period, no less 

 than ninety-three kittens, besides two adopted ones ; 

 but never did she bestow upon any of her own offspring 

 that wealth of pride and affection which was show- 

 ered upon black Bobbie. 



When the first child of her adoption was two weeks 

 old, I was ill one morning, and did not appear at break- 

 fast. It had always been her custom to wait for my 

 coming down in the morning, evidently considering 

 it a not unimportant part of her duty to see me well 

 launched for the day. Usually she sat at the head 

 of the stairs and waited patiently untU she heard me 

 moving about. Sometimes she came in and sat on a 

 chair at the head of my bed, or gently touched my 

 face with her nose or paw. Although she knew she 

 was at liberty to sleep in my room, she seldom did so, 



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