little charge in
every respect as a kitten. Whenever the chicken left the cat to eat the
soft dough provided for it, she appeared very uneasy, but on its return,
received it with the affection of a mother, purred, and presented the
appearance of being perfectly happy.

"The gentleman, being curious to know whether the affection of puss was
returned by her protege, carried it to the hen, the cat following with
loud cries of distress. But on being released, the chicken at once
returned to her attached friend, who received her with enthusiastic
delight.

"Some time after, the chicken was, by some accident, killed, and,
though another one was tendered her, the cat pined, and was inconsolable
for the loss of her favorite."

"O, father," cried Minnie, her face glowing with excitement, "wasn't
that strange? I mean to try Fidelle, and see whether she likes
chickens."

"More likely she'll make a meal of them," said the lady, laughing. "At
any rate, your story only proves my opinion of cats, as thieving,
mischievous creatures, to be true. Even she stole a chicken from the
hen, the rightful owner of it, and alienated its affections from its own
mother."

"But all her kittens had been taken away from her, and pussies must have
something to love, as well as people," exclaimed Minnie, while her
quivering lip and flushed cheeks showed how much she was in earnest in
what she said.

"My dear," remarked her father, "the lady is only joking, to carry out
her side of the argument, which, when I have read farther, I am sure she
will see is a weak one."

"Here is a case just in point."

"A lady had a tame bird which she was in the habit of letting out of its
cage every day. When at liberty, it would fly to the top of the mirror,
or on the picture frames, and then to the floor, to pick up crumbs.

"One morning, as it was busily picking crumbs of bread from the carpet,
her cat, who had always before showed great kindness for the bird,
suddenly seized it, and jumped with it in her mouth upon the table.

"The lady screamed, being greatly alarmed for the safety of her
favorite; but on turning about, instantly discovered the cause. The
door had been left open, and a strange cat had just come into the room.

"After turning it out, her own cat came down from her place of safety,
and dropped the bird on the carpet without doing it the smallest injury;
for it commenced again picking crumbs, as if nothing alarming had
occurred."

"What