216 Pussy Meow 
and turbulent men and women subdued and 
softened by the winsome ways of a kitten ; and the 
feelings that its presence seemed to awaken within 
them seemed to me to point out a new way to 
‘ minister to a mind diseased.’ ” 
The gentleman finally put Patsy back into my 
basket and I felt quite relieved, for I had begun to 
fear from the way he praised and petted him that 
he was going to take him away. 
That night I hunted for a good hiding-place and 
before morning I had my darlings all safely tucked 
away in the basement behind the kindling. 
It was no small task to carry each one down the 
stairs, for they were now several weeks old ; but 
you know a mother will endure almost any hardship 
for the sake of her babies. 
The poor little things had their rest so broken, 
that when mistress and Bettie came down they were 
still sound asleep, and I went up-stairs to get my 
breakfast at the usual time. 
As soon as mistress missed my kittens she and 
Bettie began hunting for them in every nook and 
corner, and they looked behind the kindling pile 
several times ; but I had put them in a hollow space 
away back among the kindling where they could 
