264 



HOME AND GARDEN 



The one thing that mars one's happiness with one's 

 pussies is an ever-present fear, and its, alas ! too fre- 

 quent reahsation, of loss by wandering. Sometimes 

 one of them will be away for a day, or for two days, 

 and then comes home again. When this happens, we 

 suppose that a big rabbit has been caught and has 

 provided heavy meals for two days, with long sleeps 

 of satiety in the intervals. The dangerous time is 

 at about a year old, when the cat is at its full young 

 strength and gi'eatest activity. The one most recently 

 lost was not quite a year old, the most active cat I 

 have ever known, and the most bright and frank and 

 fearless. My pretty Mittens ! with softest coat of 

 large dark tabby markings on a golden ground, and 

 snowy-white front and paws. I always feared he 

 would go some day, the spirit of adventure was so 

 strong in him. He was like a ray of sunshine about 

 the place, with his pretty bright ways and delicious 

 fearless insolence. Sometimes I would hear a commo- 

 tion among the driving whips hung up just inside the 

 entrance from the court, and knew I should have no 

 peace till I had taken the pussy-whip with the long 

 lash and the feather at the end and given him a 

 grand racing and jumping on the lawn; when he 

 made a big jump he seemed to be almost flying. One 

 day he performed a feat of agility that I never saw 

 before, and should hardly have thought possible. I 

 was playing the feather over him as he lay on his 

 back, with all four paws extended upwards trying to 



