invitation; but some
old and cautious birds, I suppose, advised them to refuse my advances,
for they never dared to partake of the meal I had spread for them until
I had myself taken my departure.

Once only, after my cousin's death, when I was seated in the place, and
in the attitude she herself was accustomed to assume, did a venturesome
little creature undertake to pay me a closer visit. But I was not
flattered by the attention, for it evidently mistook me for her who was
no more; as, scarcely had it perched upon the arm of the bench, at the
opposite end to where I was sitting, and glanced at my face, than it
flew off in the greatest alarm to communicate its terrors to its
companions.

Although I thus failed to secure the confidence and friendship of my
cousin's allies, there were other sources of amusement which this quiet
nook afforded me. Unseen myself, I had a view of at least a dozen
dwellings, and of the antics played by their inhabitants. It is
astonishing to a Cat of perfect good-breeding to observe the propensity
of the uneducated classes to climbing and creeping about in the most
elevated and dangerous positions. Within a few doors of my own house
resided an old Tom, whose business I never could guess, but who was at
home all day sleeping or smoking, and went out to his occupation at
nightfall. Instead however of taking his rest within-doors, as one would
have thought it most comfortable to do, he always had his doze in the
open air, and no place would suit him but the very edge of the roof of
his house, with his legs and tail generally swinging in the air. It was
a wonder to me that he did not either fall or get pitched off; for his
sons and daughters, an immense tribe of unruly Cats of all ages, were
constantly on the roof too, chasing each other about, rolling over one
another's backs, and often hissing and spitting at each other in a most
shocking and boisterous way. Their poor mother had lost all control over
them, and after trying, as I had often seen her, to get them into more
orderly habits, she was forced to give up the struggle and allow them to
take their own course.

These rude creatures had taken a particular dislike to me: first,
because I had reproved the young Pussies for their behaviour, as being
very unbecoming their age and sex; and secondly, on account of my having
forbidden them entering my grounds to chase the poor birds who lodged in
the trees.

As to the latter particular, they