Part 3 (2/2)

”To my dear mistress, whose motto has always been, 'Love me, love my cat.' Mew translated, 'G.o.d bless her.'--DAISY.

”Hang sorrow! Care will kill a cat; therefore, let's be merry.”

I was very much pleased that the gift, purporting to be given by me, had just the nice selections I should have made.

The tree did look lovely. Karl had lighted all the tapers, and it was one blaze of light. There were very pretty paper decorations of bright paper. Mrs. Rice said, sometimes taste was better than money. We had little of that, but we had such warm friends we were very happy.

I had a pack of cards a little over an inch in length. They were a great pleasure to us. Will would spread them on the floor, and I would roll over, scattering them about. Sometimes he called me a knave, sometimes a king or queen, but I did not care, only for a good frolic. I had a box of pennies for my meat, a paper of catmint that I enjoyed, and a nice kidney done up in pink paper, some white, soft candy I loved, and last of all Miss Eleanor and Miss Milly gave me a lovely collar and padlock.

I was proud as a prince with it on my neck.

There were nice little gifts for all my dear friends; but the best of all was, that on them were written nice little texts and--”From Daisy,”

just as if I had given them myself. It proved that they understood how well I loved my dear ones, and how gladly I would have given if I could.

It was better than all my own gifts, though I enjoyed them very much; but this understanding of me, making me one with them, made me feel like a cat-angel--and then and there I became a Christian cat.

Then we had ice-cream and cake handed around by the boys. I had some in my own little pewter plate. Miss Milly melted it a little, but I had very small appet.i.te for it. I was so excited that I could not keep still enough to lap ice-cream. I had licked the kidney, tasted the fish, chewed a little catmint and was quite hilarious over it, as it always went to my head. My tail had more to do with it than was agreeable to the company; for I whisked it about, greatly to their disgust: they did not like being dusted with catmint. Miss Milly said, ”I shall be obliged to give you a dose of nux vomica, for I fear you have eaten too much of a mixture for even a cat's stomach to digest.” I just winked at her, finished licking my ice-cream, then I kicked over the plate, making it roll under the piano. This provoked a shout of approval from the boys.

Then we had a little music. Chester and Henry A---- played nicely, and my one dear girl friend also played, but she preferred playing with me.

I was very fond of her and always responded to her affection.

Then my nice party broke up. No one of those who were there will ever forget it, I know.

Ah me, how long ago it seems! The boys and my one girl friend are twelve years older, while I am an old cat. Mamie, my friend, is a graduate of the Boston University. She will make her mark some day. The boys are Harvard graduates, while our own boys are Brimmer and High School boys.

They can all talk in many languages which I, of course, can understand.

Some of them will be smart business men. Chester, I think, will fill a professor's chair, while the others will represent the law. They will all achieve greatness if the love of one cherished cat can make them.

I know there is a warm corner in their hearts for Daisy. And however hard the world has used them, they will read my little book and keep green in their hearts the memory of one who loved them dearly, when she is sleeping peacefully under her namesakes, the daisies.

Perhaps they will tell their children about their cat friend, and read to them this little story of one happy cat, who was made a member of the family and a friend of all the nice people who visited them. It will teach them kindness to their little four-footed playmates, and they will realize that warm hearts beat under their little fur coats.

V

REVERSES

I pa.s.s over several years--very sad ones to us all. The breaking up of our home, the death of dear Mrs. Rice, I cannot write of, though Time, the true friend of the sorrowful, has laid a healing balm on our hearts.

Miss Eleanor and Miss Milly were both prostrated by their sorrows, and we were obliged to go into the country for a change of air.

How carelessly I looked upon the preparation for our flitting! When I mounted the piano, my favorite seat for many years, I little thought it was for the last time--that I should never hear my kind friends play on that dear old piano again, that I should never again arouse them in the morning by walking over the keys when they had left it open at night.

I could not understand their tears, when the furniture and piano were carried away, that they were parting forever with things a.s.sociated with their old home and those who had made their happiness, now gone forever.

Yet when I saw only our trunks, and looked at their sad faces, I did wish I could be something better than a cat and be able to help them.

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