nlike as possible to your
little, tiresome, frisky mewlings."

"I tell you I know them to be mine," cried Puss, spitting and hissing;
"I mean to recover my own." And before the spaniel knew what was going
to happen, Puss sprang forward, seized one of the puppies, and carried
it off to her own bed in another part of the premises.

Not content with this success, as soon as she had safely deposited the
puppy in her home, she returned to the abode of the spaniel. This time
she simply dashed forward, as if she had made up her mind what to do,
knocked over the spaniel with her paw, seized another puppy in her
mouth, and carrying it off, placed it alongside the first she had
captured. She was now content. Two puppies she had lost, two she had
obtained. Whether or not she thought them the same which had been taken
from her, it is difficult to say. At all events, she nursed the two
latter with the same tender care as the first.

Copy playful Pussy, when you have charge of little children. They enjoy
games of romps as much as young puppies do, and will be far happier, and
thrive better, than when compelled to loll about by themselves, while
you sit at your book or work in silent dignity and indifference to their
requirements, however fond you may be of them--as was, I daresay, the
mother spaniel of her pups.

THE CAT AND THE BURGLARS.

No stronger evidence of the sagacity of the cat is to be found than an
instance narrated to me by my friend, Mrs F--, and for which I can
vouch.

A lady, Miss P--, who was a governess in her family, had previously held
the same position in that of Lord --, in Ireland. While there a cat
became very strongly attached to her. Though allowed to enter the
school-room and dining-room, where she was fed and petted, the animal
never came into the lady's bed-room; nor was she, indeed, accustomed to
go into that part of the house at any time.

One night, however, after retiring to rest, Miss P--was disturbed by the
gentle but incessant mewing of the cat at her bed-room door. At first
she was not inclined to pay attention to the cat's behaviour, but the
perseverance of the animal, and a peculiarity in the tones of her voice,
at length induced her to open the door. The cat, on this, bounded
forward, and circled round her rapidly, looking up in her face, mewing
expressively. Miss P--, thinking that the cat had only taken a fancy to
pay her a visit, refastened the door, intending to let her r