THE FAIR PERSIAN 
15 
Everywhere is a mystery of the fulness of knowledge. There 
is power in the note of Winter’s theme. All the suggestions of 
the year are stored. There is reverence in presence of the 
white-haired old age of the year. All talkative things are 
hushed. Snows fall in gentleness, and then hang from our house- 
eaves like “ dumb waves caught in the act of breaking.” There 
is everywhere that intelligent dumbness which is the quietness 
of power, a power which holds within the essence of things to 
be, the knowledge of things that have been. 
Emily Burton. 
Sandhurst, Arnside, via Carnforth. 
THE FAIR PERSIAN. 
B O far as my experience goes, I can fully endorse the 
remark made by Gordon Stables in his excellent little 
book on Cats. Speaking of the Persian variety, he 
' says in effect that the tabbies are the largest and 
fiercest of the domesticated animals, inveterate poachers, and 
generally intractable, the black coming a good second as to size 
and strength, with an independence of character peculiarly their 
own and affectionate in a moderate degree, and the white being 
the smallest and most docile of the trio, and intensely loving and 
playful. One of the latter kind is now in residence with us, and 
possesses these qualities in an eminent degree, to which is super- 
added extraordinary intelligence, for a cat. Her gentleness is 
very noticeable when romping with mice, the enjoyment, it is 
only fair to say, being one-sided, the little animals having ample 
time to squeal, also to run away. She loves a game, but the 
garden is neglected though plentifully stocked with birds, kittens 
and trees, the cats possessing great attraction at all seasons. 
She has an uncanny habit of striking ferocious attitudes in the 
doorway with the evident intention of startling the unthinking 
occupant of the room, also of making sudden rushes from un- 
expected quarters with the same idea, and will deliberately push 
things off the table looking steadily into the forbidding counte- 
nance meanwhile ; indeed, a strong vein of humour runs through 
all her actions. Her love of water, though not an uncommon 
trait in cats, is absorbing ; hours being spent at the scullery 
taps and basins, and her tail allowed to trail in the latter and 
afterwards surveyed with great complacency ; a bath is con- 
sidered necessary for herself as for others ; indeed, she has been 
rescued more than once from a warm watery grave. Lavatory 
ablutions are watched with great interest, and probably imitation 
was the origin of the very amusing habit of sitting in the basin, 
catching the drops from a leaking tap with her paw and washing 
herself. Some melted soap was once used, but the experiment 
was not repeated. These little ways we consider unique and de- 
