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diff --git a/old/67433-h/67433-h.htm b/old/67433-h/67433-h.htm deleted file mode 100644 index 251e1bd..0000000 --- a/old/67433-h/67433-h.htm +++ /dev/null @@ -1,2828 +0,0 @@ -<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Strict//EN" - "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-strict.dtd"> - -<html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en"> - <head> - <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html;charset=iso-8859-1" /> - <title> - The Project Gutenberg eBook of Dixie Kitten, by Eva March Tappan. - </title> - <style type="text/css"> - p {margin-top: .75em; text-align: justify; margin-bottom: .75em;} - - h1 {text-align: center; clear: both; font-weight: normal; margin-top: 3em;} - h2,h3 {text-align: center; clear: both; font-weight: normal; margin-top: 2em;} - h4,h5,h6 {text-align: center; clear: both;} - - div.centered table {margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;} - - body {margin-left: 10%; margin-right: 10%;} - - a {text-decoration: none;} - - img {border: none; max-width: 100%; height: auto;} - - em {font-style: italic;} - - .hidden {display: none;} - - .pagenum { /* uncomment the next line for invisible page numbers */ - /* visibility: hidden; */ - position: absolute; - left: 92%; - font-style: normal; - font-variant: normal; - font-weight: normal; - font-size: smaller; - text-align: right; - } /* page numbers */ - - .bbox {border: 2px black solid; padding: 1em; margin-top: 3em; margin-bottom: 3em;} - - .center {text-align: center;} - .smcap {font-variant: small-caps;} - - .caption {text-align: center; font-size: 90%; padding-bottom: 2em;} - - .figcenter {margin: auto; text-align: center; padding-top: 2em; padding-bottom: 2em;} - - .tdlt {text-align: left; vertical-align: top; padding-right: 2em;} /* left top align cell */ - .tdrt {text-align: right; vertical-align: top;} /* right top align cell */ - .tdrb {text-align: right; vertical-align: bottom;} /* right bottom align cell */ - - .lrgfont {font-size: 130%;} - .smlfont {font-size: 90%;} - - .titlep {margin-top: 2em;} - .tpcontent {text-align: center; padding-top: 2em;} - .fmatter, .dedication {margin-top: 5em; margin-bottom: 5em;} - .fmcopy {text-align: center; font-size: 80%;} - .bookblock {margin: auto; width: 25em; border: 2px black solid; padding: 2em;} - .centerlrg {text-align: center; font-size: 120%;} - .centersml {text-align: center; font-size: 90%;} - .booklist {text-align: left; font-size: 95%; padding-left: 1em; text-indent: -1em;} - .frontis {text-align: center; padding-top: 1em; padding-bottom: 1em;} - .chapter {margin-top: 3em;} - .foreword {margin-top: 10em; margin-bottom: 10em;} - .amends {margin-left: 5%; margin-right: 5%;} - -@media print, handheld -{ - body {margin-left: 2%; margin-right: 2%;} - h2, .bbox, .chapter {page-break-before: always;} - .titlep, .bookblock, .foreword, .dedication, .frontis {page-break-before: always; page-break-after: always;} - .nobreak {page-break-before: avoid;} - .pagenum {visibility: hidden;} -} - - </style> - </head> -<body> -<p style='text-align:center; font-size:1.2em; font-weight:bold'>The Project Gutenberg eBook of Dixie Kitten, by Eva March Tappan</p> -<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'> -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and -most other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions -whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms -of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online -at <a href="https://www.gutenberg.org">www.gutenberg.org</a>. If you -are not located in the United States, you will have to check the laws of the -country where you are located before using this eBook. -</div> - -<p style='display:block; margin-top:1em; margin-bottom:1em; margin-left:2em; text-indent:-2em'>Title: Dixie Kitten</p> -<p style='display:block; margin-top:1em; margin-bottom:0; margin-left:2em; text-indent:-2em'>Author: Eva March Tappan</p> -<p style='display:block; text-indent:0; margin:1em 0'>Release Date: February 18, 2022 [eBook #67433]</p> -<p style='display:block; text-indent:0; margin:1em 0'>Language: English</p> - <p style='display:block; margin-top:1em; margin-bottom:0; margin-left:2em; text-indent:-2em; text-align:left'>Produced by: Sam W. and The Online Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from images generously made available by The Internet Archive)</p> -<div style='margin-top:2em; margin-bottom:4em'>*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK DIXIE KITTEN ***</div> - - - -<div class="figcenter" style="max-width: 43.81em;"> -<img src="images/cover.jpg" width="701" height="1000" -alt="Front cover of the book" /> -</div> - - - -<div class="titlep"> -<h1>DIXIE KITTEN</h1> - -<p class="tpcontent"><span class="smlfont">BY</span><br /> -<br /> -<span class="lrgfont">EVA MARCH TAPPAN</span></p> - -<p class="tpcontent">ILLUSTRATED</p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="max-width: 7.44em;"> -<img src="images/logo.png" width="119" height="157" -alt="Publisher's device" /> -</div> - -<p class="tpcontent">BOSTON AND NEW YORK<br /> -<br /> -HOUGHTON MIFFLIN COMPANY</p> -</div> - - -<div class="fmatter"> -<p class="fmcopy">COPYRIGHT, 1910<br /> -<br /> -BY EVA MARCH TAPPAN</p> - -<p class="fmcopy">ALL RIGHTS RESERVED INCLUDING THE RIGHT TO REPRODUCE<br /> -THIS BOOK OR PARTS THEREOF IN ANY FORM</p> - -<p class="fmcopy">PUBLISHED SEPTEMBER 1910</p> -</div> - - - -<div class="bookblock"> -<p class="centerlrg">By Eva March Tappan</p> - -<p class="center">———</p> - -<p class="booklist">THE PRINCE FROM NOWHERE.</p> - -<p class="booklist">STORIES OF AMERICA FOR VERY YOUNG READERS.</p> - -<p class="booklist">THE LITTLE LADY IN GREEN, AND OTHER TALES.</p> - -<p class="booklist">AMERICAN HISTORY STORIES FOR VERY YOUNG READERS.</p> - -<p class="booklist">ELLA: A LITTLE SCHOOL GIRL OF THE ’60s.</p> - -<p class="booklist">HEROES OF PROGRESS.</p> - -<p class="booklist">HERO STORIES OF FRANCE.</p> - -<p class="booklist">THE FARMER AND HIS FRIENDS.</p> - -<p class="booklist">THE LITTLE BOOK OF THE FLAG.</p> - -<p class="booklist">THE LITTLE BOOK OF THE WAR.</p> - -<p class="booklist">THE HOUSE WITH THE SILVER DOOR.</p> - -<p class="booklist">WHEN KNIGHTS WERE BOLD.</p> - -<p class="booklist">DIXIE KITTEN.</p> - -<p class="booklist">AN OLD, OLD STORY-BOOK.</p> - -<p class="booklist">THE CHAUCER STORY BOOK.</p> - -<p class="booklist">LETTERS FROM COLONIAL CHILDREN.</p> - -<p class="booklist">AMERICAN HERO STORIES.</p> - -<p class="booklist">THE STORY OF THE ROMAN PEOPLE.</p> - -<p class="booklist">THE STORY OF THE GREEK PEOPLE.</p> - -<p class="booklist">THE GOLDEN GOOSE AND OTHER FAIRY TALES.</p> - -<p class="booklist">THE CHRIST STORY.</p> - -<p class="booklist">OLD BALLADS IN PROSE.</p> - -<p class="centersml">All of the above are illustrated.</p> - -<p class="center">HOUGHTON MIFFLIN COMPANY<br /> -<span class="smcap">Boston and New York</span></p> -</div> - - - -<div class="dedication"> -<div class="figcenter" style="max-width:18.69em;"> -<img src="images/dedication.jpg" width="299" height="310" -alt="Cat with sign which reads To My Good Friends Master and Mistress" /> -</div> -</div> - - - - -<div class="frontis"> -<div class="figcenter" style="max-width: 38.13em;"> -<img src="images/frontis.jpg" width="610" height="874" -alt="A photographic portrait of Dixie" /> -<p class="caption">DIXIE KITTEN</p> -</div> -</div> - - - - - -<div class="chapter"> -<a name="contents" id="contents"></a> - -<div class="figcenter" style="max-width: 35.63em;"> -<img src="images/contents.jpg" width="570" height="153" -alt="Dixie eating or drinking from a dish" /> -</div> - -<h2 class="nobreak"><span class="smcap">Contents</span></h2> -</div> - - -<div class="centered"> -<table border="0" summary="Table of contents"> - <tr> - <td class="tdrt">I.</td> - <td class="tdlt">THE HOME NEST</td> - <td class="tdrb"><a href="#chap01">1</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdrt">II.</td> - <td class="tdlt">LEAVING HOME</td> - <td class="tdrb"><a href="#chap02">7</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdrt">III.</td> - <td class="tdlt">DIXIE FINDS A FRIEND</td> - <td class="tdrb"><a href="#chap03">13</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdrt">IV.</td> - <td class="tdlt">DIXIE AND THE COTTAGE</td> - <td class="tdrb"><a href="#chap04">22</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdrt">V.</td> - <td class="tdlt">DIXIE’S TROUBLES</td> - <td class="tdrb"><a href="#chap05">33</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdrt">VI.</td> - <td class="tdlt">THE LITTLE MOTHERCAT</td> - <td class="tdrb"><a href="#chap06">40</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdrt">VII.</td> - <td class="tdlt">DIXIE IS DESERTED</td> - <td class="tdrb"><a href="#chap07">47</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdrt">VIII.</td> - <td class="tdlt">A HAPPY LITTLE CAT</td> - <td class="tdrb"><a href="#chap08">54</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdrt">IX.</td> - <td class="tdlt">THE NEW HOUSE</td> - <td class="tdrb"><a href="#chap09">62</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdrt">X.</td> - <td class="tdlt">DIXIE IN HER HOME</td> - <td class="tdrb"><a href="#chap10">68</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdrt">XI.</td> - <td class="tdlt">DIXIE IN HER HOME, CONTINUED</td> - <td class="tdrb"><a href="#chap11">78</a></td> - </tr> -</table> -</div> - - - -<div class="foreword"> -<p class="centerlrg"> -THIS IS<br /> -A TRUE STORY<br /> -ABOUT A REAL CAT<br /> -AND IT ENDS<br /> -HAPPILY</p> -</div> - - - -<div class="chapter"> -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_1" id="Page_1">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>1]</a></span></p> - -<a name="chap01" id="chap01"></a> - -<div class="figcenter" style="max-width: 35.63em;"> -<img src="images/dkchap01.jpg" width="570" height="234" -alt="Dixie's mother hisses at Dixie" /> -</div> - -<h2 class="nobreak"><span class="smcap">The Home Nest</span></h2> -</div> - - -<p><span class="smcap">Dixie kitten</span> was a slender little cat with -the softest, silkiest black fur imaginable; -that is, you would think it was black when -you first glanced at it; but if you looked a -little more closely, you would see that here -and there were gleams of tawny yellow. -Three of her paws were black and one was -yellow. Her eyes were yellow, too, in the -daytime, with only a narrow line of black -down the centre; but at night they were -black and shining, and surrounded by a -ring of golden yellow. But whether it was -day or night and whether they were yellow -or black, there was little going on -around them that they did not see. Her -whiskers, all except two, were jet black, -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_2" id="Page_2">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>2]</a></span> -but those two were snowy white. When -she lifted her pretty chin, you could see -under it a soft yellow “vest front,” and at -the top of the vest front a bit of the whitest, -glossiest fur that was ever seen. It was -so very pure and dainty that when the sunlight -fell upon it, you would almost fancy -that it was a bit of filmy white lace.</p> - -<p>The first thing that Dixie could remember -was of being cuddled up to some one -who was soft and comfortable and gave -her sweet warm milk to drink. Somehow, -she knew that this was her mother, and -that her mother would feed her when she -was hungry and keep her warm and take -care of her and not let anything hurt her.</p> - -<p>Their home was a nest of soft hay, so -deep in the pile that when Dixie was at -the farther end, she could not see out at -all. After a while, however, she crept out -to the light now and then, and here were -so many interesting things that her eyes -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_3" id="Page_3">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>3]</a></span> -grew bigger and bigger the longer she -looked. There were piles of hay and straw, -there were bags of grain, there were rakes -and spades and wheelbarrows, there was -a carriage, and there was a sleigh. Dixie -climbed up one of the shafts of the sleigh -and stretched out her paw to touch a bell. -She only wanted to see what it was, but it -made such a loud jingle that she almost -fell off the shaft. She ran away as fast as -ever she could and hid herself in the safe -and comfortable hole in the hay.</p> - -<p>There were strange noises, too, that -Dixie kitten heard, even when she was far -out of sight in her own little nest with her -mother. There were voices of men and -the sound of their steps; there was the -happy “Bow-wow!” of a dog; there was -the neighing of horses and their crunching -of grain, and the sounds of harnessing -and unharnessing. Twice every day the -great doors of the barn were thrown open -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_4" id="Page_4">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>4]</a></span> -and the Master drove in. She could hear -him pat the horses and the dog and speak -kindly to them; then his steps passed out -of the barn and up the walk and into the -house.</p> - -<p>Dixie’s mother had made her understand -that she must stay near the home -nest; but there was a flight of steps close -by, and Dixie did so long to go down -them! She felt sure that they led to where -those wonderful things that she heard -must be. Her mother went down the -steps sometimes, and one day when she -was gone away from home, Dixie kitten -thought that she would go, too. She went -to the head of the stairs and stretched out -her little right forepaw very carefully; but -it would not reach the first step. She -stretched out the left paw, but that would -not reach any farther. She drew back and -sat looking down the staircase for a while. -Then she tried again, and this time she -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_5" id="Page_5">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>5]</a></span> -reached so far that not only the two little -black forepaws, and the black hind paw -and the yellow hind paw, but also her -whole little black and yellow body tumbled -down one step, two steps—and no -one knows how much farther she would -have gone, had she not come, plump, -right against her mother, who had seen -what was going on and was hurrying up -the stairs as fast as she could run. Dixie -was a much surprised little kitten, for -her mother lifted her by the back of the -neck and carried her straight to the little -nest in the hay. Then Dixie was still more -surprised. She had always thought her -mother’s smooth soft paws were only -beautiful playthings, but now one of them -gave her a pretty hard cuff right on her -ears. Even if Master had been listening, -he could not have heard Mothercat say -anything, but Dixie kitten understood -perfectly well that she would get into -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_6" id="Page_6">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>6]</a></span> -trouble if she went near that staircase -again.</p> - -<p>And yet, the very next day Mothercat -lifted Dixie by the neck and carried her -downstairs, and neither of them ever saw -the soft warm nest in the hay again.</p> - - - -<div class="chapter"> -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_7" id="Page_7">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>7]</a></span></p> - -<a name="chap02" id="chap02"></a> - -<div class="figcenter" style="max-width: 35.63em;"> -<img src="images/dkchap02.jpg" width="570" height="226" -alt="Dixie is carried by her mother" /> -</div> - -<h2 class="nobreak"><span class="smcap">Leaving Home</span></h2> -</div> - - -<p><span class="smcap">This</span> is the way it came about that Dixie -kitten and her mother left the home nest. -At night, when Master came home, he -stepped down from the carriage much -more slowly than usual, for he was holding -a big basket carefully in his hand. He -did not go into the house at once, but -climbed up the stairs and stood at the top -a moment looking around. He had set -the basket on the floor, and now he called, -“Kitty, Kitty!” Mothercat listened a moment, -then peered out of the nest, her eyes -as big as saucers. Dixie kitten crept out -between her mother’s forepaws, for she, -too, had heard a gentle “Mew!” coming -from the basket, and even a kitten could -guess what was within it. She was so eager -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_8" id="Page_8">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>8]</a></span> -that she could hardly wait to see it opened; -but Mothercat crouched low and lashed -her tail angrily back and forth. Then Master -took off the cover of the basket, and -what should be in it but four little kittens!</p> - -<p>Dixie kitten was delighted. She climbed -over Mothercat and started to run out to -see them; but once more Mothercat boxed -her ears with her big soft paw, and Dixie -had to go to the back of the nest in the hay. -“Kitty, Kitty!” called Master, “come and -see the new kittens”; but Mothercat did -not stir from her place, and she swished -her tail more angrily than ever. Master -gave the new kittens a dish of milk, and -then he went away.</p> - -<p>The kittens drank the milk, then they -began to run about the room. They -climbed the heaps of hay and straw and -they smelled of the bags of grain. They -ran over the carriage and the sleigh and -the wheelbarrow. They touched the teeth -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_9" id="Page_9">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>9]</a></span> -of the rake curiously with their small pink -noses. Once they went near the little -nest where Mothercat crouched, watching -everything that they did. “Gr-r-r-r!” -growled Mothercat; and they ran away -from her corner as fast as ever they could. -It began to be twilight. They were lonely -and somewhat frightened, and pretty soon -they curled up together in a soft little heap -and went to sleep.</p> - -<p>Dixie kitten went to sleep, too, but -Mothercat sat a long time thinking. Master -meant those new kittens to stay there, -that was plain. It was her house, the -place that she had picked out so carefully -as a home for her kitten, and he had put -those strangers into it! She had never -thought of Master’s doing such a thing -as that; but there they were, and what -should she do? There was one thing sure, -she would not live in the same house with -them, and her kitten should have nothing -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_10" id="Page_10">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>10]</a></span> -to do with them. She waited until it was -dark and everything was quiet downstairs -except the occasional moving of the -horses and once or twice a sleepy bark -from the dog, Prince, who was dreaming -that he had caught a rabbit. She listened -awhile, but there was nothing more to be -heard. Then she picked up Dixie kitten -by the back of the neck and stole quietly -down the stairs. Master had cut a hole in -the barn door, so that no cat need ever be -shut out, and she slid softly through this, -and went under the barn. It was open on -one side, but the air was warm, and she -knew where there was a heap of straw. -She pushed it about a little with her paws, -then she turned round and round to make -a smooth nest, and at last she lay down, and -Dixie kitten lay down beside her. Dixie -thought all this was very strange, but of -course whatever Mothercat did was right, -so she snuggled down, and in three -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_11" id="Page_11">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>11]</a></span> -minutes she was sound asleep. Before long, -Mothercat was asleep, too. The coarse -straw was not so comfortable as the hay, -but, whether it was hard or soft, she would -not stay in the same place with those -strange kittens, indeed she would not.</p> - -<p>When morning came, Mothercat went -into the barn to get the breakfast that -was always brought out for her, and there -were those kittens eating out of her dish! -She stood still and looked at them. Dixie -kitten had followed, and now one of the -strangers went toward her in a friendly -fashion. “Gr-r-r-!” growled Mothercat, -and the kitten ran back to the dish. Mothercat -did not touch the milk, and maybe -she would have had no breakfast at all, -if Mistress had not come out to see the -new kittens. “Why, Mothercat,” she said, -“aren’t you going to be good to those -little stranger kittens?” Mothercat did not -answer, but she did not go any nearer to -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_12" id="Page_12">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>12]</a></span> -the dish. “She’ll soon get used to them,” -said Master; but Mistress slipped into the -house and brought out another dishful of -milk. Master laughed, but Mistress said, -“Never mind. I don’t know that <em>I</em> want -to eat out of the same dish with everybody, -either.” Then Mothercat ate her -breakfast, but all the while she kept one -eye on the new kittens to make sure they -did not go near her child.</p> - -<p>So it went on day after day and week -after week. Dixie kitten was soon old -enough to drink from a dish. Mothercat -allowed her to use the same dish as the -others, but never once would she let her -stay and have a good play with them; Dixie -could not see why. The new kittens still -lived in the barn, and Dixie and Mothercat -still lived under it.</p> - - - -<div class="chapter"> -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_13" id="Page_13">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>13]</a></span></p> - -<a name="chap03" id="chap03"></a> - -<div class="figcenter" style="max-width: 35.63em;"> -<img src="images/dkchap03.jpg" width="570" height="171" -alt="Dixie plays in the grass" /> -</div> - -<h2 class="nobreak"><span class="smcap">Dixie Finds a Friend</span></h2> -</div> - - -<p><span class="smcap">Dixie</span> grew until she was much larger than -when she first lived in the nest in the hay, -and she learned a number of things from -Mothercat. She learned that to keep her -fur clean and dainty she must wash it -several times a day, and that nothing else -made it so soft and smooth and silky as to -wash it after she had just been drinking -some good creamy milk. She learned that -mice were to be caught; that beetles and -other queer creatures of the sort that ran -about in the grass were to be played with, -but not eaten; that horses never ate kittens, -though without meaning to do any -harm, they sometimes stepped upon them. -Dogs, she learned, were quite different -from horses in their treatment of cats. -One should always run away from dogs, -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_14" id="Page_14">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>14]</a></span> -not on the ground, but up some tree-trunk, -for dogs cannot climb trees; and Dixie -thought it was great fun to scamper up -a tree, curl up on a branch, and sit there -comfortably while a dog barked at the -foot and tried in vain to reach her. Prince -chased other cats, but if any dog troubled -the kittens in <em>his</em> barn, then in about three -seconds the strange dog was running -down the street with Prince at his heels. -Prince was a little puzzled about Mothercat -and Dixie. They came into the barn to -eat and Mistress fed them, but they lived -under the barn instead of in it. This was -strange, Prince thought, and he hardly -knew whether he ought to take care of -them or drive them away. He decided that -he ought not to do them any harm, but -that he might give them just a little chase -now and then. They understood this as -well as he, and after he had driven them -up a tree, they would come down, go into -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_15" id="Page_15">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>15]</a></span> -the barn, and eat their dinner beside him -as peaceably as possible.</p> - -<p>Of course Dixie kitten had learned to -climb any tree in the neighborhood. She -had learned also what some kittens never -do learn, and that is, how to come down -again. The stranger kittens were always -scrambling up smooth, slender saplings, -and then tumbling back to the ground -or crying for some one to come and help -them. One of them climbed a telephone -pole, and there she sat on a crosspiece, -not daring to come down. She cried so -piteously that at length Master sent to the -fire engine company on the next street and -paid a man a dollar to bring a ladder and -take her down. And the next day he had -to send for the man once more, for that -foolish kitten had climbed the pole again!</p> - -<p>Dixie kitten had learned, then, how -to behave toward mice and beetles and -horses and dogs; but People were quite -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_16" id="Page_16">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>16]</a></span> -another matter. In the first place, they did -not live either in barns or under them, -like kittens, but in houses. She had often -watched Master and Mistress go up the -steps and into their house; and once, -when she was quite small, she, too, had -slipped in when the door chanced to be -open. She had walked on a thick carpet -that was much more agreeable than the -bare ground or even the barn floor. She -had seen sofas and easy chairs, and she -had jumped up on a cushion that was far -softer than even the home nest in the hay. -There was plenty of room and no other -kittens were to be seen. The People, however, -had not allowed her to stay there, -but had driven her out at once, she -wondered why. In other ways, too, than -their manner of living, People were quite -different from dogs and horses and cats. -Their fur was of different colors on different -days, and one never knew how they -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_17" id="Page_17">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>17]</a></span> -were going to behave. Sometimes they -gave kittens good things to eat, and sometimes -they did not. Sometimes they spoke -to them or patted them, and sometimes -they hurried by without seeming to see -them. They had long arms, and sometimes -they reached out and lifted a kitten -far up into the air. Then if she was frightened -and tried to keep herself from falling -by sticking her claws into them, they -were not pleased, and often they dropped -her upon the ground. To be sure, none of -these things had ever happened to Dixie, -for Mothercat had taught her to keep -away from People; but she had seen them -all occur more than once, and she had -made up her mind never to have anything -to do with People.</p> - -<p>Two-footed folk often change their -minds, and sometimes four-footed folk -do the same; and it was not long before -the little black kitten began to look at this -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_18" id="Page_18">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>18]</a></span> -matter somewhat differently. Just beyond -the barn were some apple trees and syringas -and rosebushes and grapevines and -a green lawn with bright blue forget-me-nots -in the grass, the very place for kittens -to run about and play. A fence shut -off the stranger kittens, but Dixie and her -mother could slip out from under the barn -and have many a fine run over the grass -or up the trees when no one was looking. -At the end of the lawn was a cottage. -There were People in it, but that did not -trouble Dixie and Mothercat especially, -for they never interfered. Sometimes Lady -sat on the piazza with a pile of books, -sometimes she picked a handful of flowers -or broke off the dead twigs from some -bush. When she saw Dixie and Mothercat, -she always spoke to them, and they -stopped and looked at her; but if she came -toward them, they ran away.</p> - -<p>Dixie had now grown so large that -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_19" id="Page_19">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>19]</a></span> -Mothercat no longer watched her so closely. -Probably she thought that the kitten had -learned how to take care of herself and -keep out of danger; but she might have -changed her mind if she had guessed what -Dixie was thinking of in her wideawake -little brain. She would certainly have -thought that Dixie was not doing credit -to the careful teaching that she had had. -Dixie was thinking hard about Lady, for -there was something about her that the -kitten liked. She was People, of course, -but Dixie had come to the conclusion that -People were not all alike. The kitten -had seen a good deal of her of late—at -a distance, for now that the weather was -warmer, Lady was out of doors much of -the time. Dixie was out almost all day, -and much of it was spent among Lady’s -trees and flowers. Lady frequently spoke -to her, but Dixie made no reply. Still, her -bright little eyes were watching.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_20" id="Page_20">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>20]</a></span> -After a while one might often have seen -a half-grown kitten with old-gold eyes -creeping quietly around the lawn, keeping -close to the fence, but holding her -eyes fixed upon Lady. One morning when -Lady was tying up the morning-glory -vines, the small kitten screwed up all her -courage and started toward her. Dixie ran -as fast as ever she could, for she wanted to -come, and yet she was afraid. She was all -a-tremble, and her heart was beating fast; -but she kept on bravely. Lady was not -looking down at the path, but up at the -vines, and the first that she knew, a black -kitten was rubbing against her ankles -and purring with all her little might. Lady -stooped and patted the kitten’s head and -talked to her awhile very gently; then -she started to go into the house. This was -not such an easy thing to do, for the kitten -was so happy that she kept running -back and forth before her feet and purring -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_21" id="Page_21">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>21]</a></span> -like a tiny spinning-wheel. This was the -way that a wild little kitten found a friend -who was to do more for her than she ever -dreamed.</p> - - - -<div class="chapter"> -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_22" id="Page_22">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>22]</a></span></p> - -<a name="chap04" id="chap04"></a> - -<div class="figcenter" style="max-width: 35.63em;"> -<img src="images/dkchap04.jpg" width="570" height="214" -alt="Dixie peeps around an open door" /> -</div> - -<h2 class="nobreak"><span class="smcap">Dixie and the Cottage</span></h2> -</div> - - -<p><span class="smcap">Lady</span> was always kind to Dixie when they -were under the trees together, but she had -a way of going into the house and closing -the door which the kitten thought was -rather unfriendly. Some weeks passed; -then, as Lady turned to close the door one -morning, she saw a round black face with -two shining yellow eyes pushing in shyly. -“I don’t know about this, kitty,” said -Lady; but Somebody Else said, “Oh, let -her come in just a minute”; and Lady held -the door ajar. The kitten crept in, but very -timidly, for she had not forgotten that -when she had run into a house before, she -had been sent out at once. She did not -venture very far, but she did put her little -feet on a soft rug, and in a room beyond -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_23" id="Page_23">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>23]</a></span> -she saw cushions and a sofa that she -thought would be a most delightful place -for a kitten to lie down and have a nap. -She took only one look, then she ran back -to the door and slipped out, for she did -not know what might happen if she stayed -longer.</p> - -<p>Every day the kitten became a little less -timid, though she was still easily startled -by anything that was new to her. All cats -like to be rubbed gently under the chin; -but when Lady first rubbed her there, -right over her dainty bit of white fur that -looked so like lace, the kitten drew her -head away and looked back over her shoulder -at Lady’s hand as if it was something -she had never seen before and she did not -know what strange things it might do. It -was not long, however, before she learned -that nothing Lady did would ever hurt -her. She had now grown brave enough -to follow Lady about under the trees and -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_24" id="Page_24">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>24]</a></span> -among the grapevines and roses and syringas; -and when Lady stooped to pick -a spray of forget-me-nots, she was very -likely to feel a smooth black furry head -pushed under her hand, for the wild -little kitten who had made up her mind -never to go near People was fast learning -that to have a good friend among them -was the best thing in all a cat’s little -world.</p> - -<p>Before long Lady said to the kitten, -“Little cat, you really must have a name. -Some dear friends of mine once had a -pretty cat whose name was Dixie, and I am -going to call you Dixie. Do you like it?” -The kitten made no answer, for a fly was -creeping slowly up the gate-post, and she -was getting ready to jump for it; but it -was only a short time before she knew -her name as well as anybody. The other -kittens would come if any one called -“Kitty, Kitty,” but this one paid no -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_25" id="Page_25">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>25]</a></span> -attention to any calling unless she heard -some one say “Dixie.”</p> - -<p>So it was that Dixie found a friend and -a name. Mothercat had watched this new -friendship, and she did not seem to disapprove -of it; but she never allowed Lady to -come near herself. People had never been -unkind to her, but still she was afraid of -them. Lady always believed that if she -had lived longer, she would have become -friendly; but about this time Mothercat -got a bone in her throat and could not get -it out. Master and Mistress both tried their -best to help her; but she was so wild and -frightened that she would not let them do -much for her, and before long Mothercat -was dead.</p> - -<p>All this time Mothercat and Dixie had -been going to the barn for their food, and -as the weather grew colder, they were -finally obliged to go there to sleep. The -stranger cats had taken the best places, of -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_26" id="Page_26">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>26]</a></span> -course, but they made warm nests for themselves -and were not uncomfortable. After -Mothercat died, Dixie hated to go to the -barn. The stranger cats looked upon it -as their home, and treated Dixie as if she -were the stranger and had no right to -come there. Sometimes they growled at -her, and although she was a stout-hearted -little fighter and was not one bit afraid of -them, it was not at all pleasant to have to -eat and sleep with cats who did not want -her. She began to do some more thinking -in her wise little head. She did not like -the barn, and she did like Lady’s cottage. -There were no other kittens in the cottage, -and there was plenty of room; but would -Lady let her come? She had followed -Lady about the lawn, they had sat on the -piazza together, and once or twice she -had jumped into Lady’s lap. Lady had -always seemed glad to see her, but had -never invited her into the house. -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_27" id="Page_27">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>27]</a></span> -Nevertheless, Dixie meant to see what could be -done.</p> - -<p>The result of all this thinking was that -one day, when there was a remarkably -good smell coming from Lady’s kitchen, -a little black nose was stretched up to the -partly open door and a little red mouth -was opened wide. Dixie seldom mewed, -but when other cats would have mewed, -she only opened her mouth appealingly. -“Well, isn’t that cunning!” cried Somebody -Else. “Dixie has come to dinner.” -“Don’t feed her,” said Lady; “she belongs -to Master and Mistress. She must -understand that she can come to visit, but -that the barn is her home.” Lady was -called away just then. If she had not been, -I am afraid that before long she would -have done just what Somebody Else did, -that is, cut off a nice bit of lamb and put it -into the tiny red mouth.</p> - -<p>So it went on day after day. At first -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_28" id="Page_28">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>28]</a></span> -Lady said firmly, “Somebody Else, you -must not feed that cat.” After a while she -said, “I am afraid it will make trouble if -you keep feeding the kitten.” Then she -said, “Somebody Else, we really ought -not to feed Dixie”; and before long she -came to the kitchen after every meal to -make sure that there was a saucer of something -good set down on the floor. At -length matters actually came to the point -where she said one day, “Somebody Else, -we’ll have those oysters fried instead of -scalloped; Dixie likes them much better -fried.”</p> - -<p>Dixie was now a happy little cat. She -perched herself on the piazza railing and -ran up the apple trees and played with the -beetles and grasshoppers as much as ever -she chose. When she wanted to come into -the house, she jumped up on the sill of -the piazza window, and there was always -some one ready to let her in. When she -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_29" id="Page_29">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>29]</a></span> -ate her dinner, no other cat was there to -growl at her, for was she not the one and -only kitten of the house?</p> - -<p>Of course the stranger cats had noticed -what was going on, and sometimes they -tried to come in and get a taste of the good -things that smelled so tempting; but this -Dixie would never permit. She did not -growl or spit, but if any other kitten dared -to take bite or sup from her dish, then a -resolute black paw shot out quick as an -arrow and struck the intruder with a hard -little cuff that sent her scampering out of -the door. Once or twice some one of the -stranger cats slipped in first and emptied -the saucer. Then Dixie was so angry that -she dashed out of doors like a little black -whirlwind, ran up the path toward the gate, -and sat down with her back to the house. -She swished her tail angrily and occasionally -looked back over her shoulder -reproachfully at Lady and Somebody Else, -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_30" id="Page_30">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>30]</a></span> -who had permitted such cruel things to -happen.</p> - -<p>Room after room, Dixie went over the -house. She examined every foot of the -cellar, for she hoped to find a mouse or -two there. Early one morning she ventured -upstairs for the first time. It was -all new and strange and quiet, and Lady -was nowhere to be seen. Dixie gave a faint -timid mew, which meant, “I am lonesome -and frightened. Lady, where are you?” -Lady called, “Come, Dixie,” and Dixie -sprang upon the great bed, the happiest -little cat in the city. When Mistress came -in, she often saw her kitten lying on the -sofa or in Lady’s lap, or running about from -one room to another, and she said, “You -know she is only a barn cat, and she has -never been taught how to behave. She -may break things or get into the food.” -But Dixie had pretty clear notions in her -small head of how kittens should act, and -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_31" id="Page_31">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>31]</a></span> -she was a charming little visitor. Of course -she made a few mistakes. One day Somebody -Else found her on a shelf in the -pantry having a fine time with a dish of -corn. Dixie glanced at her with a look -that seemed to say, “Of course this is -all right, isn’t it?” and went on eating. -Somebody Else set her down on the floor, -saying, “No, Dixie, you must not touch -that”; and Dixie understood that, no matter -how tempting food might look, she -must not touch it unless it was given to -her. She learned her lesson so well that -never again did she meddle with anything -eatable, not even when she was shut into -the storeroom by mistake one day and left -there for half an hour. Here were corn and -fish and milk, all on low shelves in plain -view, and it was dinner-time; but not one -mouthful did she take. When People sat -down to the table, Dixie curled herself up -on a cushion as if this business of eating -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_32" id="Page_32">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>32]</a></span> -was a matter with which she had nothing -to do. Just once she broke through her -rule of good behavior. There were guests -at the table. They were busy talking, and -it must have seemed a long, long time for -a hungry kitten to wait for her supper. -One of the guests had just said, “How -well your cat behaves at meal-times,” and -Lady was replying, “Yes, she never pays -the least attention to us when we are eating,” -when, behold, an impatient little cat -made one bound to the sideboard and prepared -for another to the table. This, however, -was the only time that she ever did -such a thing; and there are not many -People who have not made at least one -mistake.</p> - - - -<div class="chapter"> -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_33" id="Page_33">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>33]</a></span></p> - -<a name="chap05" id="chap05"></a> - -<div class="figcenter" style="max-width: 35.63em;"> -<img src="images/dkchap05.jpg" width="570" height="190" -alt="Dixie in a corner of the barn" /> -</div> - -<h2 class="nobreak"><span class="smcap">Dixie’s Troubles</span></h2> -</div> - - -<p><span class="smcap">Dixie</span> was very happy, but even the happiest -little cat has her troubles, and Dixie -had one great grief and disappointment. -Every evening, just as she was having -the most delightful nap that could be imagined, -Lady began to straighten out the -books and papers, push the chairs back, -and fasten the windows. Dixie watched -all this with her bright, round eyes, for -she knew that the next thing would be, -“Come, Dixie, time to go to bed”; and -then she would be put out of the door and -have to go back to the barn to sleep. It -seemed very hard that while the soft cushion -was to be there alone all night long, -she could not be permitted to use it; but -Lady always said, “No, Dixie, you must -run home now”; and one night when it -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_34" id="Page_34">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>34]</a></span> -was snowing fast, Lady put on some rubber -boots and carried her over to the hole -in the barn door rather than let her lie on -that warm cushion all night.</p> - -<p>This, then, was Dixie’s one trouble, for -a cat’s home is where her bed is, and -Dixie did so want to make her home with -Lady and not in that barn. The trouble -became worse and worse, for Dixie was -going to have some kittens of her own, -and where should she make a cosy nest -for them? She could not bear to have them -in the barn, for she did not feel that she -was a barn cat any longer, she was a house -cat, even if she did have to go to the barn -to sleep. In every pretty coaxing way that -she knew she begged Lady to let her stay in -the house. She picked out one corner after -another that she thought would be just -the place for baby kittens. One was on the -padded cover of a shirt-waist box in Lady’s -room. Another was in the deep drawer of -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_35" id="Page_35">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>35]</a></span> -an old-fashioned bureau that chanced to be -left open a few minutes. Her favorite place, -however, was in a big, round basket. She -learned to push the cover off with her paw, -and she would cuddle herself down in a -little ring and look up at Lady pleadingly. -“No, Dixie,” was always the answer to her -begging, “you must not stay there.” She -lay on the sofa much of the time. If Lady -was near her, all was well; but when Lady -went anywhere else, Dixie followed. When -Lady sat down, Dixie seated herself directly -in front of her, and made plaintive -little moans and gazed straight up into her -eyes so beseechingly that more than once -Lady slipped out of sight and went away -from the house rather than to have to say -no again and again.</p> - -<p>“She must think it is pretty hard,” said -Somebody Else, “to be petted as long as -everything goes smoothly, and then turned -out of doors as soon as she is in trouble.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_36" id="Page_36">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>36]</a></span> -“But,” replied Lady, “you must remember -that she is not our cat. She is a -dear little visitor, but she belongs to Master -and Mistress, and we must not let her -make this her home.”</p> - -<p>Dixie seemed to understand that they -were talking about her, and she pleaded -more earnestly than ever. When Lady sat -down upon the sofa, Dixie would snuggle -up beside her as close as possible, she -would touch Lady’s fingers with the tip of -her tiny red tongue, she would purr and -look up into Lady’s face more and more -coaxingly every day. Still Lady said, “No, -Dixie, the barn is your home, and you must -make a nest there for your kittens.” She -even carried Dixie over to the barn two or -three times, but the poor little cat always -hurried back again.</p> - -<p>At length there came a day when Dixie -was plainly suffering. “She must go to the -barn,” declared Lady. “Perhaps if I pull -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_37" id="Page_37">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>37]</a></span> -down the shade of the piazza window, she -will think we are away and will go back.” -She pulled the shade down, but Dixie did -not go; she only crouched down in the -corner of the piazza nearest the window, -and sat there looking sick and unhappy.</p> - -<p>Lady was almost as unhappy. She wandered -from one room to another, restless -and miserable. Every few minutes she -came back to the sitting-room, pulled the -curtain aside softly, and peeped out; and -every time she saw the poor little suffering -cat curled up in the corner. At last she -said, “I’ll carry her over once more, and -perhaps when she is once there she will -be willing to stay.”</p> - -<p>Lady started to carry her over; but -close to the door lay a big yellow cat. He -crouched low, almost as if he was about -to spring, and little Dixie trembled and -clung fast to Lady. Then Lady carried her -straight home and into the house. “I -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_38" id="Page_38">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>38]</a></span> -simply won’t let any animal be so miserable -and frightened,” she declared. “Master -is at his office and Mistress has a house -full of company, so there’s no one to ask; -but that poor little kitten shan’t suffer so, -no matter whether she is mine or theirs. -I’m going to make you a bed, Dixie,” -she continued, “and a comfortable place -for the kittens.”</p> - -<p>Dixie certainly understood some of this -at least, for when Lady hurried down cellar -to look for a box and brought excelsior -and a piece of blanket from the attic to line -it with, Dixie followed, no longer moaning, -but watching closely every motion. -“We’ll put it into this quiet room off the -kitchen,” Lady explained to Dixie; and -she lifted the little cat and laid her into the -soft, warm nest. Cats are not often willing -to let People choose nests for them, -but Dixie was happy and grateful, and she -lay down at once. Lady made it all still -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_39" id="Page_39">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>39]</a></span> -and dark around her and went away for -a while. When she came back, there lay -Dixie in the nest, and beside her were four -of the dearest little kittens. One was yellow, -and one was black, and the other two -were black and white. They were named -then and there. The yellow one was Buttercup, -the black one Topsy, and the other -two were the Heavenly Twins. Lady -brought Dixie some warm milk, and then -left her to rest with her four little furry -kitty babies.</p> - - - -<div class="chapter"> -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_40" id="Page_40">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>40]</a></span></p> - -<a name="chap06" id="chap06"></a> - -<div class="figcenter" style="max-width: 35.63em;"> -<img src="images/dkchap06.jpg" width="570" height="174" -alt="Dixie with her kittens" /> -</div> - -<h2 class="nobreak"><span class="smcap">The Little Mothercat</span></h2> -</div> - - -<p><span class="smcap">Dixie</span> made the dearest little mothercat -that was ever seen, and she was as happy -as the days were long. At first she thought -too much was going on in the small room -off the kitchen, and twice she carried her -babies off to Lady’s study and picked out -a snug, shady corner for them behind the -door. Lady carried them back to the little -room, and Dixie understood that they -must stay there, and she did not take them -to the study again. She took the best possible -care of her kittens, and taught them -all that Mothercat had taught her. She -washed them ever so many times a day; -though as they grew older, they were -so full of fun that if she did not keep fast -hold of them with her forepaws, they -would insist upon playing with her tail -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_41" id="Page_41">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>41]</a></span> -or jumping up to try to catch hold of her -whiskers.</p> - -<p>As soon as it became warm enough, a -big box full of straw was put out of doors -for the kittens. Dixie kept close watch of -them, and never let them go out of her -sight unless Lady or Somebody Else was -near. Then she seemed to think that she -had a good nurse-maid, and at such times -she often ventured to slip away for a bit -of freedom and a short run by herself. -These many kittens needed more milk -than the milkman could spare, so it had -to be brought from the grocer’s. Sometimes -it was rather late, and then they -would all line up on the doorstep, stretch -their little red mouths wide open, and call -for their breakfast in a language that no -one could fail to understand. All day long -they played in the sunshine; or if it rained, -they paddled their furry paws in the tiny -streams of water like so many small children, -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_42" id="Page_42">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>42]</a></span> -for they were no more afraid of water -than if they had been ducks. They had -breakfast and dinner out of doors, but -when it was supper-time, they were all invited -into the house to drink their milk and -have a good romp. They climbed over the -chairs and the sofa, and frisked around the -legs of the tables. They ran after balls and -jumped after strings. They tore up newspapers, -and knocked down the shovel and -tongs, and sometimes almost burned their -tiny noses trying to find out whether -the fire in the fireplace was good to play -with or not. Topsy was more slender and -lithe than the others, and it was great fun -for her to squeeze herself under a certain -willow footstool. Then her smooth little -black paws would dart out and the yellow -paws and black and white paws would -dart in, and the four kittens would carry -on a merry little mock battle together. -Sometimes one was tired of play before -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_43" id="Page_43">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>43]</a></span> -the others and slipped away to a corner -of the sofa to take a nap. Then the others -were as full of mischief as a nutshell of -meat. One would take her seat on the arm -of the sofa and stretch down her paw to -give the sleeper a poke. Another would -tickle her feet with a wicked little black -nose; and sometimes the whole three -would pounce upon her and roll over and -over her until she gave up all hope of a -nap and jumped up to have a paw-to-paw -scramble with them. When the fun was -over, they were ready to go out of doors to -sleep in their box of straw. If it was dark, -they slept all night; but if the moon was -bright and Lady chanced to look out of her -window, she was almost sure to see four -little kittens frisking about and having -the best time that any one ever dreamed -of. Dixie rarely played with them. Indeed, -even as a kitten she had hardly ever -played, and when Lady had shaken a string -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_44" id="Page_44">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>44]</a></span> -or rolled a ball temptingly before her, she -had only blinked at it gravely and looked -rather surprised that she should be expected -to do such undignified acts as -jumping at strings or running after balls.</p> - -<p>There were other kittens just across the -fence, but they belonged to the stranger -cats, and Dixie would not allow them on -the lawn. One day a tiny gray kitten ventured -to slip through the palings to play -with Buttercup and Topsy and the Heavenly -Twins, and they had a fine time together -for a few minutes while Dixie was -lying in the sunshine around the corner -of the house. Pretty soon she awoke, however, -and in two minutes the merry play -had come to an end. Dixie went straight -up to the stranger kitten and apparently -told it to go home as fast as it could go. -The stranger kitten stood its ground -bravely. It sat up as tall as it could and -looked Dixie squarely in the eyes. Dixie -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_45" id="Page_45">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>45]</a></span> -lifted up her paw and gave it such a -hearty cuff that the little gray kitten really -screamed with fright and pain. Then -something happened that puzzled Dixie’s -brain severely, for Lady came hurrying -across the lawn and caught up the terrified -little gray kitten. She soothed it till -it fell asleep, and she sat quietly with it -in her lap till it woke up and was ready to -drink some warm milk. Then she put it -down gently on the other side of the fence. -This was something that Dixie could not -understand. Why Lady, her Lady, should -be so good to a stranger kitten was certainly -a mystery. She had watched it all -in amazement and anger, and now she -sat down on the grass to think it out. Of -course she swished her tail, for she was -more than a little jealous and angry. Here -was a fine plaything, the kittens thought, -and in spite of her little warning growls, -they had a great game with it, till finally -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_46" id="Page_46">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>46]</a></span> -their mother turned upon them and cuffed -the one that chanced to be nearest. So -they were all rather unhappy together, -and just because of a friendly visit from -one little gray kitten.</p> - -<p>If Dixie had only known what real sorrow -was coming to her, she would have -looked upon this trifling annoyance of the -visit from the stranger kitten as a very -small matter. She had thought it was exceedingly -hard when she had been sent -to the barn every night instead of being -allowed to sleep on the soft cushion in the -warm, cosy sitting-room; and she had -thought that no little cat was ever in worse -straits than she when she was afraid that -Lady would not let her make a nest for -her kittens in the house; but a far worse -trouble was on its way now, and poor -Dixie’s little heart would have almost -broken if she had known what it was.</p> - - - -<div class="chapter"> -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_47" id="Page_47">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>47]</a></span></p> - -<a name="chap07" id="chap07"></a> - -<div class="figcenter" style="max-width: 35.63em;"> -<img src="images/dkchap07.jpg" width="570" height="215" -alt="Dixie sitting on a ledge outside a closed window" /> -</div> - -<h2 class="nobreak"><span class="smcap">Dixie Is Deserted</span></h2> -</div> - - -<p><span class="smcap">Of</span> course Dixie had not been with People -so long without learning the meaning -of many of the words that they used. She -knew “come” and “go,” and “dinner” -and “down,” and a number of others; -but she did not know “buy” and “house” -and “move.” She felt vaguely uneasy, -however, for things began to happen -that made her restless and nervous. Lady -never sat on the piazza now; she was -always going about the house and hurrying -up and down stairs. Dixie had always -fled to the study for quiet whenever too -much was going on elsewhere; but now -even the study was no refuge, for books -were being taken down from the shelves -and laid into wooden boxes. Quantities of -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_48" id="Page_48">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>48]</a></span> -papers were carefully packed away and -great basketfuls were carried down cellar -and burned in the furnace. The parlor -carpet was taken up, and the room was -filled with boxes of books and furniture -closely wrapped up in white cloth. Pictures -were taken down and set upon the -floor against the wall. Much sweeping -and cleaning were going on. The worst of -it all, however, was when a strange man -came and began to pack the china into barrels, -and then left the barrels standing -in the sitting-room,—her sitting-room, -where the sofa with the cushions was, and -where the kittens always had their evening -frolic.</p> - -<p>In all this confusion the kittens were not -at all troubled. They thought it was great -fun to have the sitting-room full of barrels, -and they had the best time of all their lives -in jumping from one barrel to another -and pulling out bits of the excelsior packing. -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_49" id="Page_49">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>49]</a></span> -The little mother, however, was anxious -and worried. All cats dislike change -and commotion, and this grew worse and -worse. She hoped it would soon be over, -but it was worse than house-cleaning, and -she had thought that was as much as any -cat could endure.</p> - -<p>At last there came a dreadful day when -horses stopped at the gate and strange men -went through the house and carried out -boxes and barrels and furniture to load into -great moving-wagons. Lady was nowhere -to be seen, and Dixie fled. When it was -dinner-time, she came to the piazza window, -but Lady was not there. Somebody -Else was not there, and Dixie was an unhappy -little cat. After a while, Somebody -Else set out a big saucer of fish for her and -a big dish of milk for the kittens; but still -Lady could not be found. The men had -driven off with a load of goods, and Dixie -ventured to creep up to Lady’s room. -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_50" id="Page_50">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>50]</a></span> -Something of hers might be on the bed, -she thought; she would lie down upon it, -and maybe Lady would come soon. She -went softly up the stairs; but when she -came to Lady’s room, it was all bare. The -carpet was gone, the furniture was gone; -there was nothing lying on the bed, for the -bed itself was gone. Then Dixie gave one -sad little moan. She was frightened and bewildered. -What could have happened, and -what was going to happen? She walked -slowly downstairs and went out of doors. -The kittens were playing in the grass. One -of them jumped up and tried to catch her -as she went by to persuade her to play with -them; but she did not stop till she was -in the darkest corner under the barn,—a -wretched, despairing little cat. Just at -twilight, Somebody Else set out a big dish -of milk and another of meat and potatoes. -Then she locked the door and went away, -and all was dark and still and lonely. The -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_51" id="Page_51">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>51]</a></span> -kittens soon went to sleep, but many a time -during the evening the little mothercat -crept out to look up to the house. There -was no light anywhere, not even in Lady’s -room, where she had always seen it latest. -After a while she went to sleep. Maybe -things would be better in the morning; -Lady would surely come back to her.</p> - -<p>But when morning came, no Lady came -with it, and the house was still shut tight. -By and by the door was unlocked and -opened; but it was a strange man who -turned the key, and other strange men followed -him. Dixie peeped in through the -window. They were painting and papering -and doing other things that she had not -seen done before, and she jumped down -from the window-sill and ran under the barn -again. After a little, she heard some one call, -“Dixie, Dixie!” and she hurried out. It -was not Lady’s voice, but she hoped Lady -might be there. It was Mistress. She had -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_52" id="Page_52">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>52]</a></span> -asked before what Dixie liked best, and -now she had brought out a nice breakfast -of it for her. She would have been glad to -smooth the little cat’s head and try to comfort -her, but Dixie would have nothing to -do with any one. Lady had gone away and -left her, and she was broken-hearted. She -was angry, too, to think that her beloved -Lady should have treated her so cruelly. -Nevertheless, all that day she watched, and -all the next, and the next after that, angry -to think that Lady had left her, and still -hoping and hoping that she would come -back.</p> - -<p>At twilight of the third day, something -happened, for Lady came back. She came -especially to see Dixie kitten. At the first -sound of her voice, Dixie jumped joyfully; -then she remembered how unkind Lady -had been, and when Lady began to smooth -the little black head, Dixie slipped out from -under her hand and raised up her paw and -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_53" id="Page_53">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>53]</a></span> -struck her dear Lady with all her might; -then she ran away and hid.</p> - -<p>Lady was not angry, for she was one of -the People who know how little cats and -dogs and birds and horses feel. She understood -how grieved and hurt the little kitten -was; but there was nothing that she could -do to help her just then. It would all have -been right and comfortable if she could -have explained matters to Dixie, but there -was no way of making her understand.</p> - - - -<div class="chapter"> -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_54" id="Page_54">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>54]</a></span></p> - -<a name="chap08" id="chap08"></a> - -<div class="figcenter" style="max-width: 35.63em;"> -<img src="images/dkchap08.jpg" width="570" height="159" -alt="Dixie rolling on her back with her paws in the air" /> -</div> - -<h2 class="nobreak"><span class="smcap">A Happy Little Cat</span></h2> -</div> - - -<p><span class="smcap">It</span> was a great pity that Dixie could not -have heard and understood the little talk -between Lady and Mistress before Lady -went to the new house. “Master says you -shall have her if you like,” said Mistress. -“But I know that he values her,” replied -Lady, “and if she will only go back to the -barn and be happy, I won’t take her. Suppose -I leave her a few days and see if she -won’t be friendly with the other cats and -live with them comfortably. If she really -won’t, then I will come for her.” If Dixie -had known of this talk, she would not -have been so hurt and angry; but she supposed -Lady had abandoned her, and she -was miserable. She did not forget, but -grew more and more angry as the days -passed. Lady came to see her again. Dixie -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_55" id="Page_55">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>55]</a></span> -was so glad that she could not help purring -for a minute; then she remembered -Lady’s unkindness, and she walked away -up the path. She sat down with her back -to Lady and looked over her shoulder at -her reproachfully.</p> - -<p>Lady meant to come for Dixie on the -following day, but she was called out of -town, and it was three weeks before she -could set off with a rattan extension-case -to get the kitten. When she came to the -gate of the lawn, it was almost dark, and -Dixie was roaming about close to the -house, a lonely little shadow. The People -who now lived in the house had been very -good to the kittens. The Heavenly Twins -had gone to live with a kind-hearted -watchman, who wanted them to keep him -from being lonely at night; but the other -two were living with the People in their -old home. “We wanted to be good to -Dixie,” said one of the People in the house, -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_56" id="Page_56">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>56]</a></span> -“and we tried to pet her. Sometimes after -dark, when the children had gone to bed, -she would come in and wander about from -one room to another. If we paid much -attention to her or tried to take her up, -she would run out again; but if we let her -alone, she would sometimes stay half the -evening.”</p> - -<p>Buttercup and Topsy were running -about and playing as if nothing had happened, -for kittens have short memories, -and they had quite forgotten Lady. Indeed, -they had almost forgotten Dixie, for when -kittens grow large, they forget their mothers, -and their mothers forget them, too. -People who are mothers always love their -children, no matter how tall they have -grown; but cats cease to care anything -about their kittens as soon as the kittens -are old enough and big enough to take -care of themselves.</p> - -<p>Poor little Dixie was roaming about in -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_57" id="Page_57">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>57]</a></span> -the gloom, alone and miserable, and too -wretched even to run away. Lady put her -hand upon her, and she was grieved to feel -how thin the little cat had grown. Her silky -fur was rough and harsh, and she did not -seem half so large as she had been before. -“You poor little Dixie kitten,” said Lady, -tenderly, “I shall have to frighten you for -a little while, but I think you will be happy -afterwards.” She held the kitten firmly and -put her into the rattan case. Mistress shut -down the cover in a twinkling, and in half -a minute the straps were fastened and Dixie -was a prisoner. Of course she cried, for she -was terribly alarmed; but Lady talked to -her and soothed her, and before they were -in the car she was quiet.</p> - -<p>It was not long before the car stopped -at the Road where the new house was. Lady -got out and carried the extension-case to -the door and into the house. A Caller was -there, for Somebody Else had told her that -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_58" id="Page_58">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>58]</a></span> -Lady had gone to get Dixie, and she had -waited to see how the kitten would behave. -“Though I don’t believe Lady will be able -to catch her,” she had said. “Cats care -nothing for people. They are selfish little -creatures, and all they want is to be comfortable. -Probably this one has forgotten -all about her by this time.”</p> - -<p>When Lady came in, the Caller said, -“You’d better open the case in the kitchen. -The cat will probably be as crazy as a loon, -and she may dash about and tear things and -do a great deal of damage.” So the Caller -and Lady and Somebody Else and the case -with the kitten all went to the kitchen; -and Lady began very slowly and gently to -loosen the straps. It was all so quiet in the -case that she wondered whether it could -have been so close that the poor little cat -was half smothered, and she pulled the last -strap off in a great hurry. “You’d better -be careful,” said the Caller, “and not have -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_59" id="Page_59">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>59]</a></span> -your face too near. You never can trust a -cat, and no one can tell what she will do. -She may spring right at you.” Lady did -not believe Dixie would do any such thing, -and she took the cover off in a twinkling. -Dixie stepped quietly out of the case and -looked around her. She saw Lady and -Somebody Else, and she saw the Mother -standing in the doorway. They talked to -her, and patted her, and told her they were -glad to see her. Dixie forgot the lonely -days at the old house when she thought -Lady had abandoned her. It was all past; -Lady had remembered her and had brought -her home, and now she was going to live -with Lady and be really her own little cat. -Never was a cat so happy before, and she -purred so, she could be heard far into the -dining-room. As Lady bent over her, she -stretched up and tried to rub her face -against Lady’s. She ran about the room -and touched with her keen little nose the -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_60" id="Page_60">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>60]</a></span> -stove hearth, the chairs, the rugs, the table -cover, one familiar thing after another; and -every minute or two she ran back to Lady -to tell her how glad she was to be with her.</p> - -<p>“Dixie dear, how miserable you must -have been,” said Lady, with tears in her -eyes.</p> - -<p>“I never knew that just a cat could be -either so happy or so unhappy,” said the -Caller, with tears in her eyes, too. As for -Somebody Else, she had long been wiping -her own eyes when she thought no one was -looking; so it was really quite a tearful time. -By and by Dixie discovered in a corner a -little dish heaped full of the canned salmon -that she especially liked, for on the way -home Lady had stopped a minute to go into -a store to buy it to celebrate the homecoming. -Close beside the salmon was a half-open -package that smelled wonderfully -good. Even Dixie’s small black nose would -not go into it, but it was too tempting to -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_61" id="Page_61">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>61]</a></span> -leave, for it was catnip. At length she -pushed in her little paw, curled it up, and -brought out a mouthful, which she held up -and ate just as a boy would eat a piece of -candy.</p> - -<p>It was pretty late in the evening by this -time. The Caller went home, and Lady -called Dixie to go to bed. There was a good -soft bed all made ready for her in the cellar. -It was in a barrel of shavings, for cats like to -sleep high up from the floor. Near the barrel -was a saucer of milk, for fear she might -be thirsty in the night. It was all very comfortable, -but I do not believe that Dixie -went to sleep at once. Cats like to know all -about a place that is new to them, and I -have no doubt that she examined every -corner of the cellar before she curled herself -up to rest. I am almost sure, too, that -she purred herself to sleep, and that she -had happy dreams all night long.</p> - - - -<div class="chapter"> -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_62" id="Page_62">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>62]</a></span></p> - -<a name="chap09" id="chap09"></a> - -<div class="figcenter" style="max-width: 35.63em;"> -<img src="images/dkchap09.jpg" width="570" height="214" -alt="Dixie on her outdoors wall" /> -</div> - -<h2 class="nobreak"><span class="smcap">The New House</span></h2> -</div> - - -<p><span class="smcap">When</span> the Caller went away, she said, “I -never knew that a cat could behave like -that. She acts as if she really loved you as -much as a person could do. Still, they say -cats care for places rather than people; -and if I were you, I would shut her up for -two or three days till she gets used to the -house, and then she will not try to run -away.”</p> - -<p>“But if she wants to run away,” replied -Lady, “I do not want to keep her -here.”</p> - -<p>And Somebody Else said softly to herself, -“Run away? You couldn’t drag her -away.”</p> - -<p>When morning came, a very happy and -curious little cat stepped up from the cellar -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_63" id="Page_63">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>63]</a></span> -and began to look about the house. -There were only a few things in it that she -had not seen before, but they were all in -new places; and so she found a great deal -to examine. Instead of carpets, however, -she found many rugs. She was not sure that -she liked this, for sometimes she slipped a -little on the hardwood floors. The stairs -did not go straight up, but made a turn. -This was a delightful change, for she could -run up part way, then turn and look back -through the balusters. After a while she -came to the study. Here she found a new -bookcase. It was far better than the tall -ones, she thought, for it was much lower, -and she felt sure that the top of it would be -an excellent place for a kitten to take a nap. -Two or three mirrors were now either hung -low, or were over tables so she could jump -up and look into them, and Somebody Else -declared that the kitten would surely become -vain if these were not changed, for -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_64" id="Page_64">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>64]</a></span> -she liked so much to sit in front of them -and gaze at her own little self. The windows -she liked especially, for they were -so low that even a little cat could stretch -up and rest her forepaws on the sills and -see all that was going on out of doors. -Better still, at one of the windows Lady -had put a plush-covered foot-rest, and here -Dixie could sit comfortably in the sunshine -and watch the People going by.</p> - -<p>After a while Dixie began to wonder -what was out of doors, and she let Somebody -Else know that she wished the door -opened. Somebody Else had not forgotten -that the Caller had said the cat would run -away; but evidently such an idea never -entered Dixie’s pretty little head. She -walked slowly around the house. There -was a piazza at the back; and that suited -her; but she was still more pleased with the -front piazza. It was reached by five or six -steps, and there was a high railing where -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_65" id="Page_65">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>65]</a></span> -a cat could sit; and no dog would dare -to come near her. There were shrubs on -either side of the walk, with fine cool places -to sleep, or to lie awake and watch everything -that was going on. There was plenty -of grass, there were two gnarled apple-trees -behind the house, and beyond them there -was a fine old stone wall that had stood ever -since the days when no one had dreamed -of turning the great Baldwin orchard into -house-lots. Some of the rough stones were -covered with green moss, and they cast -soft gray shadows. Here and there a bit -of white quartz flashed in the sunshine. -Bright orange nasturtiums ran over the -wall, and some tall hollyhocks stood close -beside it in neighborly fashion. It was a -beautiful old wall. Dixie thought so, too; -but the reason she liked it was because she -was sure that in some one of those shadowy -places she would certainly find a field -mouse.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_66" id="Page_66">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>66]</a></span> -It took Dixie the whole forenoon to look -at everything around the house and smell -of it. Moreover, in the course of the morning -she had a caller. It was not exactly -a friendly call, for this Next-Door Cat -had been in the habit of coming to see -the People who used to live in the house, -and she was not pleased to see another cat -making herself at home there. She came -through the little barberry hedge and said -“Meow!” in a surprised and aggrieved -fashion. I suppose it meant, “Who are you -and what are you here for?” but Dixie did -not deign to answer. She jumped upon the -piazza railing and looked straight at the -Next-Door Cat. The Next-Door Cat ran up -the nearest apple-tree and looked straight -at her. After a while, the Next-Door Cat -said “Meow-ow-ow!” and came down -from the apple-tree. She gave one more -look over her shoulder at Dixie, but Dixie -was opening and shutting her mouth as -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_67" id="Page_67">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>67]</a></span> -fast as ever she could, as if she meant -to devour everything in sight. The Next-Door -Cat marched straight to the gap in -the low barberry hedge and went home. -This was Dixie’s first caller.</p> - - - -<div class="chapter"> -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_68" id="Page_68">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>68]</a></span></p> - -<a name="chap10" id="chap10"></a> - -<div class="figcenter" style="max-width: 35.63em;"> -<img src="images/dkchap10.jpg" width="570" height="185" -alt="Dixie beside a telephone" /> -</div> - -<h2 class="nobreak"><span class="smcap">Dixie in her Home</span></h2> -</div> - - -<p><span class="smcap">So</span> it was that the wild little barn cat became -a house cat. She had come to live with -busy people, and I fancy she thought that -she was as busy as they. In the morning, -as soon as she heard the steps of Somebody -Else, she ran to the top of the stairs to be -ready to come out the moment that the door -was opened. The next thing to do was to go -up to Lady’s room. The door was almost -always closed, but Dixie sat down beside it -and waited patiently until she heard some -little sounds within. Then she rubbed on -the door with the little pads on the bottom -of her paw,—very softly, to be sure, but -Lady always heard her and opened it. Once -in a while Dixie went out of doors when -she first came up from the cellar, and occasionally -it happened that she could not -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_69" id="Page_69">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>69]</a></span> -get in again at once. That did not trouble -her, for she had another way of reaching -Lady’s room that she liked fully as well as -going by the hall and the stairs. Not far -from the front piazza there grew an apple-tree. -Dixie could run up this tree, walk carefully -out on a slender branch, and jump to -the piazza roof. A little way beyond the -farther end of the roof was one of the windows -of Lady’s room. The blind nearest -this roof was usually closed, and there was -not room enough on the sill to hold even -a kitten; but Dixie would go to the very -edge of the roof and scratch. “Is that you, -Dixie?” Lady would ask. “Meow,” Dixie -would reply, and any one would know that -this meant “Yes.” Then Lady would go -into the little room that opened on the -roof and let her in. So it was that every -morning the kitten made sure that Lady -was safe and sound, and came to purr to -her while she was dressing.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_70" id="Page_70">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>70]</a></span> -After Lady and Dixie had both eaten -breakfast, Lady took a few minutes for the -morning paper. Of course it was a great -help to her to have a small black cat lie on -her lap; and I am sure I do not know how -she could have set her room in order unless -the same little cat had sat on the window-sill -watching her. When Lady went to the -study, Dixie always went with her to stay -by her while she wrote. This study was an -excellent place for a nap. Sometimes Dixie -lay on top of the low bookcase, where Lady -had put a cushion for her benefit; sometimes -she stretched herself out on the carpet -in the sunshine; and sometimes she had -a comfortable little snooze on a corner of -the big library table. If she did not care to -sleep, there were various things that a kitten -could do in the study to amuse herself. -She could sit at the window and watch the -birds in the apple-trees, or sometimes a dog -hurrying home across lots. She could run -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_71" id="Page_71">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>71]</a></span> -over the typewriter keys if she chose, and -even across the big table. Indeed, she soon -learned that the surest way to make Lady -pay attention to her was to walk slowly -over the paper on which she was writing, -or even to sit down upon it and begin to -take a bath. Once she sat down upon a loose -pile of books and papers, and a moment -later books, papers, and Dixie slid to the -floor together, with a great thump. She -turned and gazed at them with surprise and -wrath, but not the least bit of fear. She was -afraid of sudden noises elsewhere, however. -While a carpenter was at work in -the kitchen, she utterly refused to eat her -meals in the room unless Lady stood beside -her. She seemed to feel convinced that -Somebody Else was to blame for all that -hammering, and for several days after it -ceased she refused to have anything to do -with her while in the kitchen, though she -was friendly enough in other places. In -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_72" id="Page_72">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>72]</a></span> -Lady’s study she felt safe, and apparently -she had come to the conclusion that in that -room nothing could ever hurt kittens.</p> - -<p>Whenever Dixie was in trouble she always -ran to the study for comfort. One day she -dashed into the room and sat down in front -of Lady and gazed at her so earnestly and -with such an air of wanting to tell something -that Lady called to Somebody Else -and asked if anything had happened to -Dixie. “Sure, there has,” replied Somebody -Else. “Now that the screens are -in, the window-sill is not wide enough to -hold her, and when she jumped from the -railing to the window, she fell down. She -wouldn’t stop for a bit of dinner, but ran -upstairs as fast as ever she could go.” Once -when Lady had been away for a month, she -missed the kitten after the first greeting. -Some time later she went to the study, and -there sat Dixie in the dark, patiently waiting -for her to appear.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_73" id="Page_73">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>73]</a></span> -In some ways Dixie was remarkably -obedient. If she was in the street and Lady -knocked on the window, she would come -running home as promptly as the best of -children. If she was upstairs and Lady -called her to come down, you could hear -on the instant the jump of a little cat—often -from a down quilt on a bed or from -some other forbidden place, I am sorry to -say—to the floor; and in half a minute -she was hurrying downstairs to see what -was wanted. One morning Lady called, but -Dixie did not come. Some ten minutes later -she burst into the kitchen like a little football -rush with a long “Meow-yow-yow-yow!” -which sounded so angry and indignant -that Somebody Else called Lady and -declared that something had surely gone -wrong with Dixie. When Lady went upstairs, -she saw what had happened. The -heavy door had blown to, and it was plain -that the kitten had been working at it with -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_74" id="Page_74">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>74]</a></span> -her soft little paws until she had pushed it -back far enough to let her squeeze through.</p> - -<p>Part of Dixie’s work was to drive away -the stray cats and dogs that ventured on -her lawn or under her apple-trees. Sometimes -she herself played dog, and did her -best to guard the house. One dark night -there was a strange clanking sound in the -back yard. Lady started for the door; but -before she could reach it, the little cat had -crouched all ready to make a spring as soon -as the door should be opened. The noise -proved to have been made by a hungry -dog at a garbage can; and he ran away as -fast as ever he could; but I think Dixie -would have enjoyed chasing him.</p> - -<p>Evidently Dixie felt that her first duty -was to keep watch of Lady; and this was -no easy matter when Lady was busy about -the house. She hurried “upstairs and -downstairs and in my lady’s chamber”; -but wherever she went, a little black cat -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_75" id="Page_75">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>75]</a></span> -followed her like a shadow. This shadow -behaved somewhat unlike other shadows, -however, for it had a way of catching at the -hem of her dress in the hope of a frolic, or -suddenly dashing around corners at her to -surprise her, in a fashion which no properly -behaved shadow would ever dream of -following.</p> - -<p>Another of Dixie’s duties was to entertain -the Mother. The Mother had always -been afraid of cats, and she had never liked -them, but she could not help liking Dixie. -The kitten often went to her room and lay -on a small high table in the sunshine while -the Mother sat in her big easy-chair and -talked to her. Dixie purred back, and they -were very comfortable together, and the -best of friends.</p> - -<p>When callers came, Dixie was not altogether -pleased. Sometimes she would turn -her back on them, march straight upstairs, -and not come down again until she heard -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_76" id="Page_76">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>76]</a></span> -the front door close; but generally she -thought it better to keep pretty close watch -of them. She was inclined to think that -Lady paid them too much attention; therefore -she would often jump into Lady’s lap -and insist upon remaining there until they -were ready to start for home.</p> - -<p>Another one of Dixie’s responsibilities -was the telephone, and she always ran to -it at the first ring. Her care of it was a great -convenience to Lady, for the telephone -bell and the doorbell sounded so nearly -alike that before Dixie came, she had often -made mistakes, and had hurried to the -telephone when the doorbell rang. Dixie -never made a mistake, however, and when -Lady saw her running to the telephone, she -did not have to guess which bell had rung. -The telephone was as much of a mystery -to Dixie as it is to some other folk. She -would jump up on the table to listen, -and would put her head on one side with -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_77" id="Page_77">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>77]</a></span> -a puzzled look. One day she stretched out -her soft little paw and touched Lady’s lips -to see if she could not find out where those -strange sounds came from. Once Lady -asked the friend with whom she was talking -to call “Dixie!” Then the kitten was -puzzled indeed. She looked at the receiver -from all sides and even tried to get her head -into it. At last she left it and jumped down -from the table; for most certainly she had -come upon something that no kitten could -understand.</p> - - - -<div class="chapter"> -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_78" id="Page_78">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>78]</a></span></p> - -<a name="chap11" id="chap11"></a> - -<div class="figcenter" style="max-width: 35.63em;"> -<img src="images/dkchap11.jpg" width="570" height="209" -alt="Dixie playing with yarn" /> -</div> - -<h2 class="nobreak"><span class="smcap">Dixie in her Home <i>continued</i></span></h2> -</div> - - -<p><span class="smcap">Dixie</span> had her small troubles, and she did -not always bear them like a good child in a -story-book. At one time Lady thought she -was having too much salmon, and she set -down some bread and milk for her. This -did not suit Dixie at all. She sniffed at it and -walked away. Through the morning she -went to it once in a while, plainly hoping -that it had changed into salmon; and each -time when she saw that it was still bread -and milk, she gave a little growl and turned -away as angrily as a cross child that does -not like his breakfast. She thought Lady -would yield, and it was not until almost -supper-time that she concluded to eat that -bread and milk. Another one of her trials -was the swing door between the pantry and -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_79" id="Page_79">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>79]</a></span> -the dining-room. She did not like doors -that went both ways and did not stay shut -after they had been shut. Even when Lady -or Somebody Else held the door open for -her, she was afraid, and when she had -screwed up her courage and run through -it at full speed, she would turn and look -at it over her shoulder as if there was -no knowing what that thing might do yet, -and she would not trust it behind her -back for a moment.</p> - -<p>Still another of her troubles was that -neither in the attic, nor in the cellar, nor -among the soft gray shadows of that beautiful -old stone wall could she ever succeed in -finding a mouse. I have no idea how many -long nights she may have spent wandering -about the cellar and watching beside every -promising hole; but I do know that wherever -in the house she might be, she never -failed to hear the opening of the attic -door. Then she would scamper upstairs as -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_80" id="Page_80">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>80]</a></span> -fast as her feet could carry her. She would -examine every corner and every hole, -and finally walk slowly downstairs with -as nearly a look of anger and disgust as -her happy face could be made to wear.</p> - -<p>Dixie finally concluded that there were -no mice in her house, but she still hoped -she might find one in that of her next-door -neighbor. The first time that his cellar door -was left open, she slipped in, and there she -stayed. He tried to coax her out, then to -frighten her out, and then he told Lady. -Lady went to the door and said, “Dixie, -come right home,” and Dixie stepped -down daintily from a pile of wood and -went home. This was her last search for -mice. The kind neighbor was sorry for her -disappointment, and one day he brought -her two that had been caught at his store. -Dixie looked at them gravely. Then she -stretched out her paw and touched one of -them. It did not move, and she turned -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_81" id="Page_81">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>81]</a></span> -around and walked away scornfully and -ungratefully. She did not care for dead -mice; what she wanted was the fun of -catching live ones.</p> - -<p>But of all the troubles that came to the -petted cat, the very worst of all was her getting -angry with Lady. There was a certain -cushion that Dixie thought was specially -her own, and one sad and sorry day Lady -needed to open the box on which it lay, -and put her off. Then Dixie was angry. -Lady pointed her finger at her and said -“Shame!” and told her she was a naughty -cat. A cat cannot bear to be scolded. Dixie -stood looking straight into Lady’s face. -She growled and she spit, and was in as -furious a little temper as one could imagine. -Suddenly she seemed to remember -that it was Lady, her own best friend, -toward whom she was behaving so badly. -She stopped growling, turned away for a -moment, and then came running up to -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_82" id="Page_82">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>82]</a></span> -Lady, purring and rubbing against her -feet, and trying in every pretty little way -that she knew to make her understand -what a penitent cat she was.</p> - -<p>Most cats become more sedate as they -grow older, but Dixie became more playful. -When she was a barn cat, she never -played, and she would gaze with the utmost -gravity and a dignified air of indifference -and surprise if any one tried to -tempt her to run for a ball. Now, however, -she was always ready for a game. -She played with everything,—with a table -leg, a corner of a rug, or the hem of Lady’s -dress. She played with the dry leaves on the -ground. When it snowed, she played with -the snowflakes. Sometimes she caught -them in her paw and held them up to examine -them more closely. Then when she -found that they had disappeared, her look -of amazement was comical enough. She -would run out of doors in the rain and play -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_83" id="Page_83">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>83]</a></span> -with the drops or with the tiny streams -of water running off the sidewalk. She -did not mind getting wet in the least, and -sometimes she would sit a long while on a -piazza post in a pouring rain. The moment -she came into the house, however, she set -to work to dry herself. With only her little -tongue to use as a towel, this was rather a -slow business, and two or three times Lady -wiped her fur with a cloth. Dixie was somewhat -surprised, but she did not object. -Evidently she soon discovered how much -trouble this saved her, and whenever she -was wet, she would go to the drawer where -her own particular towel was kept and wait -till Somebody Else wiped her dry. One day -she was so thoroughly drenched that she -felt in need of comfort as much as towel, -and she ran to the study to show herself -to Lady. She stood in the doorway a moment, -then walked up to Lady with a long -and much aggrieved “Meow-ow-ow-ow!” -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_84" id="Page_84">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>84]</a></span> -which meant, as any one might know, -“Lady, isn’t this a shame? Did you ever -see a little cat so wet before?”</p> - -<p>Dixie’s notions of what was proper and -what was not proper were decidedly original. -Things to eat she never touched unless -they were given to her, but things to play -with were free plunder. One unlucky day -Lady gave her an empty spool, and after -this all spools were her province. Unfortunately, -she preferred those that had thread -on them. She liked thimbles, too, and she -would jump up on the table where Lady’s -work-basket stood, select a thimble or a -spool to play with, and jump down with it in -her mouth. If she had a spool full of thread, -she was happy; but when Lady came into -the room, she did not always sympathize -with the kitten in her pleasure, for that -thread was almost sure to be wound about -everything in the room except the spool.</p> - -<p>Indeed, Dixie kitten of the house was a -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_85" id="Page_85">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>85]</a></span> -very different little cat from Dixie kitten -of the barn. She was as happy as the days -were long. I might as well say, “As happy -as the nights were long,” for she did not -dread bedtime now, as in the times when -she was sent out of the warm sitting-room -to the barn. She never stayed out all night, -and she was always willing to go to bed. -Lady could have told a secret about this if -she had chosen. It was that Dixie knew a -nice little lunch was always waiting for her -at the foot of the stairs. It is no wonder -that she did not care to spend nights away -from home. The Caller stood by one evening -while Lady was preparing the lunch. -“How you do spoil that cat!” she said -laughingly. Lady replied thoughtfully, -“Spoil her? I only make her happy, and -I don’t believe it spoils either cats or people -to be happy. What do you think about it, -Dixie kitten?” and Dixie answered “Purr-r-r-r” -contentedly.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_86" id="Page_86">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>86]</a></span> -Now when people wish to write the life -of a person, they generally wait until he -is dead—maybe because they are afraid -he may contradict what they have said -of him. Dixie is not dead by any means. -She is sitting on the corner of the table -this very minute, gazing straight at my -paper; but this life of her is so true that it -would not trouble me in the least if she -should read every word of it.</p> - - - - -<div class="bbox"> -<p><b>Transcriber’s Note</b></p> - -<p>On the assumption of printer error, the following amendment has been made:</p> - -<div class="amends"> -<p>Page <a href="#Page_38">38</a>—made amended to make—“... I’m going to make you a bed, Dixie,” ...</p> -</div> - -<p>The list of books by the same author has been moved to follow the title page.</p> -</div> - -<div style='display:block; margin-top:4em'>*** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK DIXIE KITTEN ***</div> -<div style='text-align:left'> - -<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'> -Updated editions will replace the previous one—the old editions will -be renamed. -</div> - -<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'> -Creating the works from print editions not protected by U.S. copyright -law means that no one owns a United States copyright in these works, -so the Foundation (and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United -States without permission and without paying copyright -royalties. Special rules, set forth in the General Terms of Use part -of this license, apply to copying and distributing Project -Gutenberg™ electronic works to protect the PROJECT GUTENBERG™ -concept and trademark. 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