ied a cat in its arms,
and the rest of the cats followed on, and stood still, very serious,
while Gregory was laid in the ground. The boys filled up the grave,
made a good-sized mound over it, and planted a little evergreen-tree
at one end. They also set very firmly, on the top of the mound, what
Johnny called "a kind of marble monument." It was the marble bottom of
an old kerosene lamp. When this was all done, the children sang a hymn,
which they had learned in their school.

[Illustration: "The children gave him a grand funeral. Each carried a
cat in its arms, and the rest of the cats followed on."--PAGE 78.]

THE OLD BLACK CAT.

Who so full of fun and glee,
Happy as a cat can be?
Polished sides so nice and fat,
Oh, how I love the old black cat!
Poor kitty! O poor kitty!
Sitting so cozy under the stove.

CHORUS.

Pleasant, purring, pretty pussy,
Frisky, full of fun and fussy?
Mortal foe of mouse and rat,
Oh, I love the old black cat!
Yes, I do!

Some will like the tortoise-shell;
Others love the white so well;
Let them choose of this or that,
But give to me the old black cat.
Poor kitty! O poor kitty!
Sitting so cozy under the stove.

CHORUS.

Pleasant, purring, pretty pussy, etc.

When the boys, to make her run,
Call the dogs and set them on,
Quickly I put on my hat,
And fly to save the old black cat.
Poor kitty! O poor kitty!
Sitting so cozy under the stove.

CHORUS.

Pleasant, purring, pretty pussy, etc.

This song had come to Burnet years before, in a magazine. There was no
other printed copy of the song; but, year after year, the Burnet
children had sung it at school, and every child in town knew it by
heart.

It cannot be said to be exactly a funeral hymn, and Gregory was a gray
cat and not a black one, which made it still less appropriate; but it
was the only song they knew about cats, so they sang it slow, and made
it do. Just as they were finishing it a big dog came darting down from
the other side of the mill-race, leaped over the race, barking loud, and
sprang in among them.

This gave the relatives a great scare. All those that were standing on
the ground scrambled up the nearest trees as fast as they could; and
even those that were being held in the children's arms scratched and