stance or to inform our mother of what had occurred; but as
she did not come back, and evening was fast setting in, we thought it
best to proceed towards home, although we did not much like meeting our
parents after what had happened.

There was no help for it however; so, giving a last frightened look at
our poor little sister, who was now quite dead and cold, we walked sadly
homewards, and reached the house just as night was falling.

I pass over what ensued,--my mother's grief, and her anger against
nurse, who, by the bye, never came back to express her sorrow; I pass
over also my mother's remarks upon the occasion; but I may observe,
that they, added to the sad accident itself, made so deep an impression
upon me, that whenever I felt inclined to disobey my good mother's
admonitions, the image of my dead sister would rise up before me, and,
although it did not, alas! _always_ prevent my being wicked, it often
did so, and on every occasion made me feel repentance for my error.

DANGERS.

My Father was what is called a sporting character. The quantity of rats
he caught, and of birds he ensnared, was almost incredible; and the fame
of his exploits spread throughout the neighbourhood.

A taste of so decided a kind, and a dexterity so remarkable, not
unnaturally extended to his offspring; and before we had attained our
full growth, we had all killed our rats and caught our birds.

To indulge this passion my father had two little huts, which he called
hunting-boxes, both conveniently situated for his favourite pursuits.
One was on the bank of the river, near some old timber, a famous haunt
of the rats, who had a colony close by; and the other was in a wooded
spot, overhung with trees, among which the birds loved to linger,
although many of their number waited there to their destruction.

My mother, who had been very delicately brought up, and who had very
strict notions concerning propriety in female Cats, was very anxious to
keep myself and sisters away from either of these places, although she
had, of course, no objection that our brother should visit them; but,
as we had been all educated together, we Pussies thought it rather hard
that Tommy should go whilst we were forced to stop at home; and, as our
father was very indulgent, we often managed to slip off unawares and
join him and our brother, trusting to his kindness to save us from our
mother's displeasure.

I happened to learn one day that several s