on as the child was interred, and the cat set at liberty, she
disappeared; and it was not till a fortnight after that event, that she
returned to the well-known apartment, quite emaciated. She would not,
however, take any nourishment, and soon ran away again with dismal
cries. At length, compelled by hunger, she made her appearance every day
at dinner-time, but always left the house as soon as she had eaten the
food that was given her. No one knew where she spent the rest of her
time, till she was found one day under the wall of the burying-ground,
close to the grave of her favourite; and so indelible was the attachment
of the cat to her deceased friend, that till his parents removed to
another place, five years afterwards, she never, except in the greatest
severity of winter, passed the night any where else than at the
above-mentioned spot, close to the grave. Ever afterwards she was
treated with the utmost kindness by every person in the family. She
suffered herself to be played with by the younger children, although
without exhibiting a particular partiality for any of them.

"There is another story of the cat's attachment, of a somewhat less
melancholy cast, which I lately saw recorded in a provincial newspaper.

[Illustration: THE AFFECTIONATE CAT--Page 92.]

"A country gentleman of our acquaintance, who is neither a friend to
thieves nor poachers, has at this moment in his household a favourite
cat, whose honesty, he is sorry to say, there is but too much reason
to call in question. The animal, however, is far from being selfish in
her principles; for her acceptable gleanings she regularly shares among
the children of the family in which her lot is cast. It is the habit of
grimalkin to leave the kitchen or parlour, as often as hunger and an
opportunity may occur, and wend her way to a certain pastrycook's shop,
where, the better to conceal her purpose, she endeavours slily to
ingratiate herself into favour with the mistress of the house. As soon
as the shopkeeper's attention becomes engrossed in business, or
otherwise, puss contrives to pilfer a small pie or tart from the shelves
on which they are placed, speedily afterwards making the best of her way
home with her booty. She then carefully delivers her prize to some of
the little ones in the nursery. A division of the stolen property
quickly takes place; and here it is singularly amusing to observe the
cunning animal, not the least conspicuous among the numerous