ird cat was brought in to share the feast. Amused at this
proceeding, the gentleman now began to experiment, and again increased
the daily dole of food. A fourth guest now appeared; and he continued
adding gradually to the allowance of viands, and found that the number
of feline guests also progressively increased, until about thirty were
assembled; after which no further additions took place, so that he
concluded that all those who lived within _visiting distance_ were
included: indeed, the wonder was that so many could assemble, as the
district he lived in was far from populous.

The stranger cats always decorously departed after dinner was over,
leaving their hospitable entertainer, no doubt, with such grateful
demonstrations as might be dictated by the feline code of etiquette.

Ask yourselves if you are always as anxious as was the Australian cat to
invite your companions to enjoy with you the good things you have given
you by kind friends. Ah! what an important lesson we may learn from
this anecdote: always to think of others before ourselves. When young
friends visit you, do you try your utmost to entertain them, thinking of
their comfort before your own? Such is the lesson taught us by this
cat, which gathered others of her kind to share the bounties provided by
her kind master.

THE DISHONEST CAT.

I am sorry to say that cats are not always so amiable as those I have
described, but will occasionally play all sorts of tricks, like some
dishonest boys and girls, to obtain what they want.

An Angora cat, which lived in a large establishment in France, had
discovered that when a certain bell rang the cook always left the
kitchen. Numerous niceties were scattered about, some on the tables and
dressers, others before the fire. Pussy crept towards them, and tasted
them; they exactly suited her palate. When she heard the cook's step
returning, off she ran to a corner and pretended to be sleeping soundly.
How she longed that the bell would ring again!

At last, like another cat I have mentioned, she thought that she would
try to ring it herself, and get cook out of the way; she could resist
her longing for those sweet creams no longer. Off she crept, jumped up
at the bell-rope, and succeeded in sounding the bell. Away hurried cook
to answer it. The coast was now clear, and Pussy revelled in the
delicacies left unguarded--being out of the kitchen, or apparently
asleep in her corner, before cook returned.