XVIIIA WELCOME VISITOR
Miss Dorothyhad many lovely neighbors, but the one I liked best of all was Mrs. Stevens. One day when the two ladies were visiting, I happened to be in the room, and Miss Dorothy told Mrs. Stevens how I had come to her a homeless little stranger. Mrs. Stevens said that her children had been wanting a little kitty for a long time, but that she had never allowed them to have one till Mrs. Cotton persuaded her to do so.
When I heard the name of Mrs. Cotton, I was so overjoyed, I jumped on the floor and turned several somersaults, and Mrs. Stevens laughed heartily at my antics.
One day while napping on my cushion, I was awakened by a familiar voice in Miss Dorothy’s room. It was a lady, and she asked Miss Dorothy if she could take charge of the Band of Mercy for a while, as Miss Wallace the leader, had been called away.
Of course having heard the story of Beautiful Joe, I know all about the Band of Mercy. It is a place where little boys and girls sing and speak lovely pieces. Here is one I heard Guy read to his mother from “Dumb Animals:”
Three little kittens, so downy and soft,Were cuddled up by the fire,And two little children were sleeping aloft,As cozy as heart could desire;Dreaming of something ever so nice,Dolls and sugar-plums, rats and mice.The night wore on, and the mistress said,“I’m sleepy, I must confess,And as kitties and babies are safe in bed,I’ll go to bed too, I guess.”She went up-stairs, just a story higher,While the kittens slept by the kitchen fire.“What noise can that be?” the mistress said.“Meow! meow!” “I’m afraidA poor kitty-cat’s fallen out of bed!The nice little nest I made!”“Meow! meow!” “Dear me! dear me!I wonder what can the matter be!”The mistress paused on an upper stair,For, what did she see below?But three little kittens, with frightened air,Standing up in a row!With six little paws on the step above,And no mother cat to caress or love!Through the kitchen door came a cloud of smoke!The mistress, in great alarm,To a sense of danger straightway awoke:Her babies might come to harm.On the kitchen hearth, to her great amaze,Was a basket of shavings beginning to blaze.The three little kittens were hugged and kissed,And promised many a mouse;While their names were put upon honor’s list,For hadn’t they saved a house?And two little children were gathered tightTo their mother’s heart ere she slept that night.
Three little kittens, so downy and soft,Were cuddled up by the fire,And two little children were sleeping aloft,As cozy as heart could desire;Dreaming of something ever so nice,Dolls and sugar-plums, rats and mice.The night wore on, and the mistress said,“I’m sleepy, I must confess,And as kitties and babies are safe in bed,I’ll go to bed too, I guess.”She went up-stairs, just a story higher,While the kittens slept by the kitchen fire.“What noise can that be?” the mistress said.“Meow! meow!” “I’m afraidA poor kitty-cat’s fallen out of bed!The nice little nest I made!”“Meow! meow!” “Dear me! dear me!I wonder what can the matter be!”The mistress paused on an upper stair,For, what did she see below?But three little kittens, with frightened air,Standing up in a row!With six little paws on the step above,And no mother cat to caress or love!Through the kitchen door came a cloud of smoke!The mistress, in great alarm,To a sense of danger straightway awoke:Her babies might come to harm.On the kitchen hearth, to her great amaze,Was a basket of shavings beginning to blaze.The three little kittens were hugged and kissed,And promised many a mouse;While their names were put upon honor’s list,For hadn’t they saved a house?And two little children were gathered tightTo their mother’s heart ere she slept that night.
Three little kittens, so downy and soft,Were cuddled up by the fire,And two little children were sleeping aloft,As cozy as heart could desire;Dreaming of something ever so nice,Dolls and sugar-plums, rats and mice.
Three little kittens, so downy and soft,
Were cuddled up by the fire,
And two little children were sleeping aloft,
As cozy as heart could desire;
Dreaming of something ever so nice,
Dolls and sugar-plums, rats and mice.
The night wore on, and the mistress said,“I’m sleepy, I must confess,And as kitties and babies are safe in bed,I’ll go to bed too, I guess.”She went up-stairs, just a story higher,While the kittens slept by the kitchen fire.
The night wore on, and the mistress said,
“I’m sleepy, I must confess,
And as kitties and babies are safe in bed,
I’ll go to bed too, I guess.”
She went up-stairs, just a story higher,
While the kittens slept by the kitchen fire.
“What noise can that be?” the mistress said.“Meow! meow!” “I’m afraidA poor kitty-cat’s fallen out of bed!The nice little nest I made!”“Meow! meow!” “Dear me! dear me!I wonder what can the matter be!”
“What noise can that be?” the mistress said.
“Meow! meow!” “I’m afraid
A poor kitty-cat’s fallen out of bed!
The nice little nest I made!”
“Meow! meow!” “Dear me! dear me!
I wonder what can the matter be!”
The mistress paused on an upper stair,For, what did she see below?But three little kittens, with frightened air,Standing up in a row!With six little paws on the step above,And no mother cat to caress or love!
The mistress paused on an upper stair,
For, what did she see below?
But three little kittens, with frightened air,
Standing up in a row!
With six little paws on the step above,
And no mother cat to caress or love!
Through the kitchen door came a cloud of smoke!The mistress, in great alarm,To a sense of danger straightway awoke:Her babies might come to harm.On the kitchen hearth, to her great amaze,Was a basket of shavings beginning to blaze.
Through the kitchen door came a cloud of smoke!
The mistress, in great alarm,
To a sense of danger straightway awoke:
Her babies might come to harm.
On the kitchen hearth, to her great amaze,
Was a basket of shavings beginning to blaze.
The three little kittens were hugged and kissed,And promised many a mouse;While their names were put upon honor’s list,For hadn’t they saved a house?And two little children were gathered tightTo their mother’s heart ere she slept that night.
The three little kittens were hugged and kissed,
And promised many a mouse;
While their names were put upon honor’s list,
For hadn’t they saved a house?
And two little children were gathered tight
To their mother’s heart ere she slept that night.
The mention of the Band of Mercy brought to my mind little Willie Cotton, and instantly it dawned upon me that the strange lady was Willie’s mother. Mrs. Cotton carried a bunch of delicious sweet violets, as usual.
“I will be most happy to do anything I can for Miss Wallace,” said Miss Dorothy, “and if you think I am able to lead the Band, it will give me great pleasure to do so.”
While Miss Dorothy was speaking I got up from my cushion, and jumped into her lap, but Mrs. Cotton did not seem to notice me at all; she was so interested in the Band of Mercy. Then, although I knew it was very rude to do so, I jumped over on Mrs. Cotton’s lap. I felt that I must insome way attract her attention. Mrs. Cotton petted me a little, so I climbed up to her face and kissed her nose. At this Mrs. Cotton seemed to take alarm. Perhaps she thought I was on the way up to her hat again; but I wasn’t, for the birdies had all flown away.
“What an affectionate little creature,” said she, holding me firmly in her lap. “Where did you get this cat?”
“She came to us a couple of weeks ago,” said Miss Dorothy, “and made herself so thoroughly agreeable that I have had her as my constant companion ever since.”
Mrs. Cotton looked at me more closely and said, “She looks like a cat that my neighbor, Mrs. Paxton has lost, and she has been very unhappy over it; only a few days ago she said she still hoped to find her again.”
Miss Dorothy looked very sad. “Is there any way by which you could prove that this is Mrs. Paxton’s cat?” said she, “for, if she is, I want to return her.”
Mrs. Cotton put her hand to her forehead evidently trying to recall my name, when I cried out “meow.”
“Oh, ‘Meow’! that was the cat’s name. Meow! Meow!”
At the sound of my name I could hardly contain myself. I kissed Mrs. Cotton’s cheek many times, and then, seeing Miss Dorothy looked sad, I went over and kissed her too.
“I believe you are right,” said Miss Dorothy, “and if Tootsie belongs to Mrs. Paxton, she shall have her back. I named her after Miss Willard’s cat because she seemed so well-bred and so dignified.”
“Mrs. Paxton will be delighted to see you,” said Mrs. Cotton, “for I feel quite sure that this is her cat.”
“We shall all be very sorry to give her up,” said Miss Dorothy, as she accompanied Mrs. Cotton to the door.
At the dinner-table Miss Dorothy told her father and Arthur what Mrs. Cotton had told her.
“There is only one thing to do, daughter,” said Mr. Banks.
“Yes,” said Miss Dorothy, “I am going to take her over to-day.”
Then I knew that that would be my last day at Miss Dorothy’s, and wishing to give my dear mistressall the pleasure I could, I immediately set to washing myself and smoothing my fur.
To be sure I felt sad to leave my new friends who had been so very kind to me, still I was overjoyed thinking of the happiness it would give my mistress to find me again.