19G 



KIDD'S OWN JOURNAL. 



fond). This he would lap with great gusto. 

 His cream being all consumed, he would 

 try to get at the milk jug, and always 

 appeared uneasy until he had his proper j 

 quantity of bread and milk. After he had j 

 eaten it, he would begin to play about the 

 room ; and no kitten could cut more capers, I 

 or play up more antics than he. 



One moment, he would be on his back, j 

 playing with his tail, or a scrap of paper, or ! 

 anything he could find. The next he would 

 be on the cornice, over the curtains, stamping 

 and growling as if angry. Then he would 

 descend, and amuse himself by overhauling 

 any work-basket or box that was left in the 

 room. My mother's basket (containing the 

 keys, &c, appertaining to the housekeeping 

 department) was an article to which he was 

 very partial. It generally stood on a side- 

 table, near my mother's chair ; and many 

 were the capsizes he had, on making his 

 inspection. Sometimes, we would place it 

 near the edge of the table ; and as soon as 

 he commenced pulling about the things that 

 were in it, down he would come, with a 

 terrible rattle. Nothing could overcome his 

 desperate inquisitiveness ; in fact we some- 

 times thought he ought to be recommended 

 to the Custom-House authorities, in order 

 that they might learn how to make a thorough 

 overhaul; though "possibly" some of your 

 readers may think this unnecessary ! 



One evening, my mother's work-basket 

 was in the room, and in it was a large sheet 

 of cotton wadding. This, " Jack " soon 

 found ; and we were not a little startled by 

 the scream with which he hailed his discovery. 

 He forthwith commenced hauling it out of 

 the basket ; and when he had it on the floor, 

 crammed as much of it as he could into his 

 mouth, and then tried to make off with it. 

 Unfortunately for him, the sheet was so large, 

 that when he besan to walk off with it, 

 it got under his feet ; and at each step, he 

 bumped his head on the floor. Tiiis provoked 

 him exceedingly, and made him chatter 

 much ; still his " bump of invention " sug- 

 gested the means of overcoming this difficulty. 

 He actually pulled it into small pieces, and 

 cramming as many as he could into his mouth, 

 made the best of his way to his box. In 

 about half-a-dozen trips he had secured 

 the whole in his berth, and then he com- 

 menced making up his bed. 



I now appro iched his box very gently, 

 to see what he was about. But he did not 

 approve of an inspector, and forthwith 

 dropped his employment ; regarding me 

 steadfastly with no very friendly eye, especi- 

 ally when I attempted to remove his wadding. 

 Finding me persevere, he laid himself on his 

 back, growling and screaming outrageously ; 

 at the same time striking at me with his fore 

 paws. Having had some little experience 



of the manner in which he used his teeth, 

 and remembering that " bought wit is longest 

 recollected," I thought I would let him alone, 

 and therefore fastened him in for the night. 



As the summer had now set in, and the 

 weather was beautifully warm, we used to 

 put him out of doors all the day, which 

 doubtless contributed to keep him in health. 

 His diet at this time consisted of acorns, nuts, 

 chesnuts, fir cones, and the twigs and tender 

 shoots of the spruce and other fir trees. 

 During the time he was out, he was continu- 

 ally in his "revolver," which he was now 

 able to spin with such velocity that one 

 could hardly see it revolve. Sometimes he 

 would stop it and jump and roll about in it, 

 just like a kitten at play. So far from seem- 

 ing uncomfortable in it, he would growl 

 furiously if he were prevented spinning it. 



One day, it got fixed (with some of the 

 twigs of the fir that he had had for food), 

 and would not turn. During this time, 

 (certainly not more than an hour), he had 

 disfigured it very much, and had gnawed it 

 all over. I heard him growling and chatter- 

 ing, as he always did when anything dis- 

 pleased him ; and on coming to see what was 

 the matter, found him as described. I imme- 

 diately freed it ; when he commenced spinning 

 away as fast as it would turn, uttering his 

 peculiar cry of pleasure. 



Sometimes we would bring in the branch 

 of a tree, which I had fastened to a block of 

 wood, and set it up in the room. On letting 

 him out of his box, he would run to it, and 

 commence a series of the most rapid move- 

 ments imaginable, — up, down, round, and 

 everv way in an instant. His agility was 

 indeed wonderful. 



Now was the time he would play with the 

 cats (of which we had two) ; jumping on them 

 and teasing them, and then running up his 

 branch. The cats were at first inclined to 

 hurt him ; but on experiencing a taste of his 

 " ivory," they could not be induced to have 

 anything further to do with him ; and after a 

 few minutes, the play was entirely on his 

 side. In fact, the cats were quite afraid of 

 him. 



One day, a respectable farmer who lived 

 in the parish came to see my father on 

 business, and brought with him some acorns 

 for " Mr. Jack." We accordingly took him 

 to the room where " Jack " was amusing him- 

 self As soon as the farmer had seated him- 

 self, " Jack" approached him ; rather warily 

 at first, but he soon climbed up his legs. 

 The farmer sitting quite still, "Jack" com- 

 menced examining his pockets. First, he 

 searched his coat, getting so far into the pocket 

 as to be out of sight. Here he found nothing ; 

 but he next directed his exertions to his 

 waistcoat, in one of the pockets of which he 

 discovered some acorns. After eating one 



