Part 1

[Illustration]

THE HISTORY OF

TABBY

_A FAVOURITE CAT_.

AS RELATED BY HERSELF TO HER KITTEN.

By E. SMYTH.

London:

PUBLISHED FOR DIDIER AND TEBBETT,

At the Juvenile Library of English, French, and Italian Books, and Repository of Instructive Games, No. 75, St. James’s-Street, Pall-Mall.

1809.

C. Spilsbury, Printer, Angel-Court, Skinner-Street, London.

THE

HISTORY OF TABBY.

One fine autumnal evening, Tabby seated herself in an old tree, and watched, with parental delight, the frolics of her favourite and youngest kitten, as it ran round and round after the leaves which had fallen. With all a mother’s tenderness, she imagined no kitten like her own; and thought to herself, how happy will that family be that gets my child: for no rat or mouse will dare to approach a dwelling defended by so active and diligent a cat. At length the little animal, having fatigued herself, came to its mother, and sat herself beside her. ‘Oh, my dear mother,’ said she, ‘how much I wish you would come and play with me; you cannot think how delightful it is to run after, and try to catch the fallen leaves, the wind blows them so delightfully along; and then, just as you imagine you are sure of catching them, puff comes a gust of wind, and blows them farther off than ever. I am sure, if you would but once try, you would be so much charmed with it, that you would never want any other amusement; and I should never after see you come out to sit moping in a tree, looking, for all the world, like an owl in an ivy-bush.

‘Alas, my child!’ replied Tabby, ‘my time for play is now over; all that remains for me to do now, is to give the best advice in my power to my dear children. If ever you should arrive at my great age, (which few cats do), you will find, that even running about in an orchard will not give so much satisfaction as sitting in a quiet and secure place. When I was a kitten, no young creature could be more frolicsome than I was: any thing served to amuse me; many an hour have I passed in running round and round after my tail, trying to catch it, to the great entertainment of my young Misses and Masters, and their companions.’ Here the kitten burst into a violent fit of laughter, and said, how queer it would look to see her old, grave mother, running after her tail.--‘You forget, I was then as little as yourself.’--‘But, dear mother, you have often promised me you would relate your adventures, and how you came into this family, where you are so much loved: do, pray tell me now; you have always put me off, by saying I was yet too young, and that I should not attend to the moral instruction which might be gained from it. Oh! if you would but begin, you should see how carefully I would attend; even if a young mouse were to run close past me, I would not catch it, so very anxious am I to hear you.’

‘As you so earnestly desire it, my child, I shall willingly relate it, particularly as I think I shall not live much longer: this cough of mine grows worse and worse; this next winter I shall never be able to struggle through; but I shall die happy, having now fulfilled every duty, given all my children a good education, and seen them happily settled in the world. As for you, my dear, if I should die before you are provided with a mistress, our present one will, I am sure, never part with you, out of respect to my memory; but, should fate ordain a separation, I shall, with a contented mind, give you up. I know our dear lady, unlike the generality, never sends a kitten but where she well knows it will be properly taken care of: it will be the last painful struggle I shall have, and I hope I shall conduct myself with firmness.’

The poor kitten, very much affected by these words of its mother, put its paws round her neck, and sobbed aloud: ‘Indeed, indeed, my dearest mother, I never will leave you; if they want to send me away, I will run and hide myself in a dark hole, where they will never think of looking for me. I am sure, I never can be happy unless I am with you; and as to your dying, no, I will not think of that; you, who are so very fat and handsome as to be the admiration of every one who sees you, surely you may live many years yet. How many cats do we see much older than you, enjoying good health and spirits; then do not, dearest mother, distress yourself and me too, by talking of such melancholy things.’

‘Far be it from me, to damp the spirits of my darling; yet much I could say of the uncertainty of life; besides the various scenes I have gone through, have broken a naturally good constitution; but, as I see you are now so much distressed, I shall leave it until another opportunity, and begin now to tell you my adventures.’

‘I was born in a pretty little cottage in Hertfordshire; I remember I had two sisters, but they were soon taken away, and what became of them I could never hear: but there is every reason to suppose they were barbarously drowned, as I afterwards found was the common practice with unfeeling people. However, my mother did not seem to feel the loss very severely, but all her affection centered in me: she never left me but to get food. The first human face I ever saw was that of our sweet mistress, Miss Phœbe, who was then a very little girl; she took me, for the first time, out of the closet in which I was born; and after saying the most flattering things as to my beauty, asked the cottager if she might then take me home. The cottager, who was formerly Miss Phœbe’s nurse, replied that I was yet too young to leave my mother; but that, as soon as I was able to feed and keep myself clean, she would bring me to the hall, for she had kept me on purpose for her. Miss P. kissing me affectionately at the same time, replied, ‘No, no, Betty, you must not carry her, but I will come myself to fetch it; for no one will take so much care of it as I shall. I will bring a little basket for her, with some flannel in it, that it may lie soft; for it is to be my own cat, and I am to feed it and take care of it entirely; so, mind you do not let any one else take it. But now you must go to your mother, you darling beauty, said she to me, and laid me gently down by my mother.’

‘I intend, my child,’ continued the old cat, ‘to give you a faithful account of my faults, as well as virtues, that you may know it is possible to conquer all failings, and that wicked actions always meet with punishment. No sooner was I left to myself, than I began to think I was of very great consequence, and that I must be the most beautiful creature in the world; for so Miss Phœbe had said several times, and I did not, at that time, know young ladies indulged themselves in such a careless way of speaking, as to say what was not strictly true. My kind mother, whose attention to me was unremitted, I used to feel so grateful to, and used to say to her, if you should ever be a little kitten, when I am a great cat, I will lick you, and feed you, as carefully as you now do me: but now I thought it was her duty to attend me: that, as I was so very beautiful, I should not do any thing for myself. I looked upon my mother as a mean sort of cat, whose mistress wore a stuff gown, and lived in a little cottage, while mine was dressed in a white frock and pink sash: thus was my little silly heart puffed up with pride. My mother wanted soon after to teach me how to wash myself: I said there was not any occasion for me to learn, as I knew very well I should always have some person to attend upon me. What, in the name of wonder, said she, has put this into your foolish head? Who but your mother, do you think, will ever love you enough to wash you? I then told her what my young mistress had said, and that I was going to live at the hall. My mother replied, with much anger, and do you suppose you will be suffered to be dirty there? I well know all the family at the hall, and am certain no cat will be suffered to remain there, unless she be very clean; and as to Miss Phœbe washing you, it is out of all reason; she is engaged with her lessons most of the day, and though she and her sisters may take delight in playing with you, while you are young, you will soon grow a great cat, and then you may depend upon it, no young lady will wash you; and unless you learn to do it while you are young, depend upon it you never will do it properly when old. But such a wicked kitten was I, that I did not mind what my good mother said, and would not even try to do as she wished me. One day, after she had been severely reprimanding me, she went out, saying, that unless I repented of my folly before her return, she would take no more notice of me. I then thought what a fine spirited thing it would be for me to run away, and go to the hall alone: accordingly I came to the cottage door, and saw, at what I thought a very little distance, the large white house which I knew must be the hall; I thought it would be a very easy matter for me to walk there. I, therefore, unperceived by my old mistress, who was spinning at the door, set off, pleasing myself with thinking how vexed my mother would be when she missed me; how delighted Miss Phœbe would be to see me, and what grand things I should see. But, after walking through two or three fields, I began to feel very much fatigued; and, to my astonishment, the house did not look much nearer than when I first set out. After some further consideration, I thought I had better return, confess all to my dear mother, who, I hoped, would pardon me upon my amendment; but how true it is that when once we do wrong, we cannot tell where we shall stop. Just as I turned round, with an intention of going home, what should I see but two boys, who were looking for bird’s nests, just in the path that I must go. I had heard my mother relate such dreadful things which had been done to her by boys, that though these were the first I ever saw, I felt almost frightened to death, lest they should see me. I set off running as fast as possible, and never stopped to look behind me until I found myself in the back court of the hall. I found my enemies were quite out of sight. I now looked about, hoping to see my mistress; but nothing like her could I see, and heartily did I repent my obstinacy, which had brought this fatigue and trouble upon me. While I was in this situation, a new and more terrible enemy approached: this was a large pointer dog, who, the instant he saw me, ran up; I retreated with my face towards him, setting up my back, keeping my eyes steadfastly upon him, and my claws ready to stick in his face; till, on a sudden, I felt myself falling through the bars of the cellar window, and in an instant was thrown with violence upon a heap of coals; the blow was so great as to deprive me for some time of all recollection. When I recovered, I found myself in dreadful agony; my poor eyes were so filled with small coals that I could not open either of them; I suspected my leg was broken, for I could not move it in any direction. In this distress, I called aloud for my dear, my tender mother; but, alas! I called in vain; she was far away, and could not hear how bitterly I reproached myself for my mis-conduct. My cries, at length, reached the family, and I heard some one calling, ‘Puss, puss, poor pussey.’ I called out, as plainly as I could speak, ‘Here am I, do pray come and help me: I cannot help myself, or I would come to you.’ Soon I had the happiness of hearing the cellar door open, and my mistress say, ‘Indeed, Henry, the sound came from here, and we must look well. She then again called Pussey; but whether the sudden joy of hearing her, or that my violent pain and fatigue had entirely exhausted me, I cannot tell; but I could not utter a word. In vain I opened my mouth, the words died away; how great was my agitation while I heard them looking for me, and sometimes coming close up to me. I suppose the dark colour of my skin, together with the little light admitted into the cellar, prevented their seeing me. I heard them regretting their ill success, and at last giving up all hope, I heard them slowly ascend the stairs and shut the door after them. When I heard the noise of its shutting, no words can describe my agony; but soon a kind of stupor came over me; and I entirely lost all sense and feeling: of course I should then have died, but that soon a servant came to fetch some coals, and was surprised to see a poor dead kitten lying there; she brought it up in her hand, and, seeing Master Henry, said, ‘Oh, Sir, here is the poor kitten we have heard mewing all the morning; I dare say it fell through the cellar window, and it is now dead.’ Henry took me in his hand, and finding my heart yet beat, he ran to his sisters, and told them the circumstance, desiring they would instantly get a little warm milk and water to wash the dirt and blood from me, and some flannel to rub me with. They set themselves to work diligently to recover me, all but Miss Eliza; she said it was cruelty to try to recover a poor creature who had a broken leg, was blind, and bruised all over; and as Phœbe was going to have a kitten from Betty (for I was so disfigured Miss Phœbe did not know me), that one would be quite plague enough at a time; for her part, she would have it shot directly, to put it out of its pain, if it were still living.’

‘Henry replied in a grave tone, ‘Ah, Eliza, suppose that you had fallen out of the window, and broken your leg, how would you like people to say you had better be shot, and not take any pains to recover you?’ ‘But,’ said Eliza, ‘I am of more consequence than any kitten. Can a kitten do such things as I do? Can it play on the piano, can it draw, can it dance, can it--.’

‘Here her brother interrupted her and said, ‘It would perhaps be better for you not to know any of these fine things, if they are to make you hard-hearted; besides, it is not by your own merit, but Mamma’s kind instructions, that taught you all these things; but how different is the conduct of our dear Mamma, who can do all these things much better than you, yet how kind she is? She would not hurt a fly; so far from hurting it, that if she saw one in danger, she would assist it.’

‘I was by this time so much recovered, as to lick my gentle mistress’s hand; she was delighted with this proof of my amendment, and as I seemed to stand in need of warmth, she sat with me on her lap under her pin-a-fore all day. Never was a mother more attentive than this darling girl was to me; and though she sat in the room where her brothers and sisters were playing the most delightful games, she never left me to join them. To this nursing I owe my life. I now got better and stronger every day. They soon discovered that I was Betty’s kitten, and determined I should now stay, when I had strength enough to lap a little milk.’

‘My mistress’s mamma said to her, ‘I am uneasy, my love, at your sitting so much; exercise is very necessary for young people to preserve their health. While your kitten stood in such great need of you, I would not say any thing, but now it is well enough to be left by itself. If you make it a comfortable bed, we will walk together to Beach Park, and then you may tell your friend Susan Richmond the addition we have to our family, and ask her to come and see it.’

‘Phœbe immediately prepared to go with her mamma, and, after making me a soft warm bed in her doll’s cradle, and tenderly kissing me, she went out with her mamma.’

‘I shall now give you an account of the family: Mrs. Meade was a most tender-hearted charitable woman; her earnest wish was to make her children happy, by making them good; all her time she devoted to their instruction. Miss Eliza, the eldest, was very quick in her learning, but the cause was, she was more forward than most girls of her age; she was proud of her own abilities, and did not consider the great advantages of her mother’s instruction. She considered every one who was not so learned as herself, quite beneath her, and instead of joining at the different games of her brothers and sisters, would sit, with a book in her hand, continually interrupting them with, ‘How foolish it is of you to spend all your time in play; if you knew how much pleasanter it is to read, you would always do it.’

‘I once heard Henry say to her, after she had plagued them some time, ‘True, Eliza, reading is a most delightful thing, and I am as fond of it as you can be; but still I don’t think it necessary to read all day: you know, all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy. Play heartily when you do play, and work when you do work; that’s my motto. Now, had you been reading heartily, and was as much delighted with your book as you say you are, you would not look off your book so often to tell us so.’

‘Henry was, next to Eliza, a fine bold spirited boy, and yet tender-hearted; so good to all the animals, that he was the universal favourite: nor did he confine his goodness to animals, but all the poor, for miles round, blessed him as he passed, and said he was the picture of his excellent mother. He had a garden, which he cultivated himself; the produce of which he took to the old cottagers in the neighbourhood, visited them, and did every good in his power for them.’

‘It was a pleasant night, when he went into the farm yard; all the animals came flocking round him; the pigeons would alight upon his shoulders and hat, and were not frightened away even by the dogs, who came barking and jumping about him. Animals which, at any other time, would fight with each other, approached him at the same time without fear, knowing they should not be hurt in his presence. But do not suppose he neglected his learning to attend us. No, his tutor, Dr. Smythe, said he was the most diligent young gentleman he ever had under his care.’

‘The next was Miss Clara, a sweet gentle girl; but as she was very unhealthy, she frequently went to stay with her aunt Dutton, at Brighton, for the benefit of sea-bathing. She was very industrious, and painted flowers very beautifully. It was she who drew that picture of me, which you see over the nursery fire.’

‘The next was master Augustus, who was rather too headstrong, and who continually run himself into danger, notwithstanding all his good mother could say. One time he was nearly drowned by going, contrary to her command, into the water. Another time, when some workmen were repairing the roof of the house, he took it into his head to mount the ladder, but soon he grew giddy, and fell from it. One time he fell into the well, but fortunately there was not much water. In short, he was a great deal of trouble to his excellent mother; but he had, notwithstanding, a good heart, and is now so good, so diligent, as to be the delight of all his friends.’

‘The youngest was Miss Phœbe. Of her goodness I need not say any thing; her conduct to me puts her character in the most amiable view. But to return to myself. When I awoke, and found myself alone, I began, as I now often did, to think of my dear mother, and regret I had not profited by her instruction. What will become of me, said I, when my mistress grows tired of me? What shall I do? When I get well, she will not think then of attending me with such care.’

‘In the midst of these cogitations, I thought I heard my mother’s voice. I listened with attention, and was almost certain it was she. She entered the room, saying, as she entered, ‘My child, my dear child, are you here?’--‘Yes, here I am, my kindest, best of mothers; here is that ungrateful kitten who left you because you wanted to teach it to be useful, but who will now gladly receive your instructions. She came to me, and a most tender scene followed.’

‘I now soon got quite well, and, with my curious jumps and frolics, diverted all the family. My mother was constantly giving me the best advice, and particularly cautioned me against jealousy; entreating that I would never let my savage appetite conquer me so far as to destroy any favourite bird. But, alas! dear mother, you little thought I should be guilty of so great a sin as I soon after committed.’