state," said Miss Mary, "to arrange a cat museum."

So she took all the cats, and placed them, in the order of their
appearance, in a recess on one side of the room. There were picture
cat, rag cat, China cats, ark cats, yowling cats, bronze cat.

The next morning was New Year's Day. The young lady passed it in quiet.
No cats invaded her repose. She began to think the eruption of cats was
beginning to subside. Vain hope! Her tormentor was busy enough.

On Sunday evening, he arrived at our house in the country. He came to
spend the night.

"My dear E.," said he to me, "you must lend me a cat. I have sent Miss
Mary--every kind of cat except a live one, and now I must send that
too. I am going to make you dress up your favorite blue kitten."

At first, I refused; but, on his promise that the kitten should be
treated with the greatest care and consideration, I agreed. I made her
a gown of yellow satin coming down over her legs. The tail went through
the gown and helped to keep it on. That tail was the gaudiest part of
all, being wound with gold lace, and bearing at the tip a gay,
flourishing bow. I made for pussy beautiful pettiloons of dark-red
glazed cambric, and shod her with black morocco boots. Her cap was made
of paste-board, tall and peaked, trimmed with gay ribbons, and
surmounted by a cock's feather. A coral necklace with a locket was put
about her neck; and then poor pussy was complete, and shone in her
whole brilliancy Her patience was a shining example. Not a mew nor a
growl at all the often-repeated fittings and tryings on. She purred
kindly all the time.

Her carriage was a bandbox, big enough to avoid crushing the cap and
tail, with a hole cut in the cover for ventilation; and Miss Pussy set
off for town.

"A whole day gone, and no cat!" exclaimed Miss Mary--, as the family
rose from tea. "The joke is over now, whatever it was."

No sooner were the words spoken than a rousing knock and ring startled
the silence, and a bandbox appeared covered with brilliant red letters
spelling, "This side up with care," and several other phrases with the
same meaning. "Open carefully" stood prominent among them. The
direction was, of course, to Miss Mary. With careful hand, she raised
the lid, when the cat, tired of long confinement, bewildered by the
sudden light, and scared by the roars of laughter that greeted her,
leapt from the box, and sped around the room like lightning. The dress
held on well, while she gall