Concerning Cats 



able a cry, so dreadful and full of anguish, that I 

 was struck dumb and motionless with horror. He 

 was buried at the bottom of the garden under a white 

 rose tree, which still marks the place of his sepulture. 

 Three years later Seraphita died, and was buried by 

 the side of Don Pierrot. With her the White Dy- 

 nasty became extinct, but not the family. This snow- 

 white couple had three children, who were as black 

 as ink. Let any one explain that mystery who can. 

 The kittens were born in the early days of the great 

 renown of Victor Hugo's ' Les Miserables,' when 

 everybody was talking of the new masterpiece, and 

 the names of the personages in it were in every 

 mouth. The two little male creatures were called 

 Enjolras and Gavroche, and their sister received the 

 name of Eponine. They were very pretty, and I 

 trained them to run after a little ball of paper and 

 bring it back to me when I threw it into the corner 

 of the room. In time they would follow the ball up 

 to the top of the bookcase, or fish for it behind 

 boxes or in the bottom of china vases with their 

 dainty little paws. As they grew up they came to 

 disdain those frivolous amusements, and assumed 

 the philosophical and meditative quiet which is the 

 true temperament of the cat. 



"To the eyes of the careless and indifferent 

 observer, three black cats are just three black cats, 

 but those who are really acquainted with animals 

 know that their physiognomy is as various as that of 



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