The cat was taken into the next room, and put gently upon a rug.

"Take care of my poor kitten!" said the kind little Emma, as she saw
them take it away; and her loving spirit went to the land of loving
spirits.

When the sorrowing friends went into the adjoining room, the life of
her "poor kitten" had departed too.

Does not the fact that love and kindness can make such an irritable
animal as the cat so loving and grateful, teach us all their
heavenly power? Ought we not to do all which we can to bring out
this better nature?

We have made cats our slaves. We have taken them from the woods,
that we may have them to catch our rats and mice. We make them do
just as we please, and ought we not to make them as comfortable and
happy as we can?

Can we not be patient with their bad or disagreeable qualities, and
encourage all their good dispositions? We never know the true
character of any living being till we treat that creature with
entire justice and kindness. I therefore am the friend of the poor,
despised, abused, neglected, suspected, calumniated cat. I confess
she is sometimes a little disposed to thieving, that there are
strong reasons for supposing that she is somewhat addicted to
selfishness, that she may justly be suspected of occasional
hypocrisy, and that she is to blame for too readily using her claws.

These are, all of them, human as well as cattish faults; but, if