DEAR CAT, I'm writing you this letter,
Which I shall send by post;
So, by-and-by, perhaps you'd better
Just say if it was lost.
I've got a nice large sheet of paper,
And, pussy--what d'you think!--
Some sealing-wax, a smart red taper,
And a real pen and ink!
Dear Cat, how sadly I did cry
When Nurse, I, and Papa
Where all obliged to say good-bye
To you and Grandmama.
I saw you on the steps, and John
Was standing at your side,
You watched us till we were quite gone,
Then, I suppose, you cried!
Oh! puss, I have been so so sad
These two last rainy days,
And I kept thinking how we had
Such dear, delicious plays,
You and I, pussy, in the hall,
Jumping upon the chairs,
Scrambling for my elastic ball,
Running half-way upstairs,
Until we met grave housemaid Jane
With dust-pan and with broom,
Who always sent us back again
To the warm drawing-room;
And there, before the tea-bell rang,
We sat upon one stool,
Whilst you purred, pussy, and I sang,
Or else we played at school.
I taught you that two paws were two,
And twice two paws were four,
And tried to make you count your claws, but you
Would stick them in the floor!
And so you never got to be
As wise as you were bid--
At least I was surprised to see
One evening what you did--
John brought the kettle in and stept--
With a black shining boot--
Between us, when you, pussy, leapt
And fastened on his foot.
You thought it was a rat, but oh!
When I had told you that
If John had fifty feet or so,
They couldn't make one rat!
What cream we had for tea that night,
What games with cotton reels;
But no, puss, it upsets me quite,
One can't help what one feels.
I'm crying now, so here I'll end,
Dear Cat--best love to you--
Believe me, your own little friend,
EMILY FORTESCUE.
E.K.
DEAR EMILY, your letter came
Directed right to me,
And when John took it at the door,
A puzzled man was he--
"A letter for the Cat!--why, such
A thing was never heard!"
Then Jane came out and looked, and long
The two together purred.
I do not think they were quite pleased
Such honour should be done
To me--for Jane laughed loud and said,
"It's just Miss Emmie's fun;
"I'll take it to her Grandmama,"
And then--though right before
Her feet I stood--she hurried on,
And shut the parlour door
Right in my face--I could have scratched
And torn the parlour mat,
Only that would have been too like
A common, vulgar cat,
Which I am not--as well you know.
I waited patiently,
And soon I heard dear Grandmama
Calling aloud for me.
"Open the door for Puss," said she;
I sprang upon her knee;
Then, quite out loud, she kindly read
Your lovely note to me.
And all the while I purred and purred,
Or softly said, "Mew, mew";
With grown-up people in the room
'Twas all that I could do
To show how, at each friendly word,
My cat's heart swelled with pride;
And yet some sadness came therewith,
The news that you had cried.
I did not cry--in Cat-dom we
Don't think it etiquette
To wash our faces when we grieve,
And make our whiskers wet.
Yet none the less I truly shared
The sadness of the house;
I think 'twas a whole week before
I'd heart to catch a mouse.
I even thought the cream was sour,
I lost my appetite,
I caterwauled upon the roof
So dismally at night
That spiteful neighbour Green sent in
(He's a low taste for dogs)--
And begged that Grandmama would put
My feet in walnut clogs!
I grew morose, I spat at John,
Put up my back at Jane,
But your kind letter makes me feel
A happy cat again.
When you come back in Spring, I'll learn
To count my paws, and you
Perhaps might condescend to try
A few things I can do.
Your way of climbing up a wall
Strikes me as not--the thing,
And though you're nimble, you might take
A lesson how to spring.
What's more, if you are not above
Hearing a cat's advice,
In time you might be brought to feel
More justly about mice.
You've hurt my feelings now and then,
But I forgive you that--
So--count among your warmest friends
Your Grandmama's
GREY CAT.
A.K.
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