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TO EMILY AT HER OWN HOME, FROM THE CAT
- DEAR EMILY, your letter came
- Directed right to me,
- And when John took it at the door,
- A puzzled man was he—
- “A letter for the Cat!—why, such
- A thing was never heard!”
- Then Jane came out and looked, and long
- The two together purred.
- I do not think they were quite pleased
- Such honour should be done
- To me—for Jane laughed loud and said,
- “It’s just Miss Emmie’s fun;
- “I’ll take it to her Grandmama,”
- And then—though right before
- Her feet I stood—she hurried on,
- And shut the parlour door
- Right in my face—I could have scratched
- And torn the parlour mat,
- Only that would have been too like
- A common, vulgar cat,
- Which I am not—as well you know.
- I waited patiently,
- And soon I heard dear Grandmama
- Calling aloud for me.
- “Open the door for Puss,” said she;
- I sprang upon her knee;
- Then, quite out loud, she kindly read
- Your lovely note to me.
- And all the while I purred and purred,
- Or softly said, “Mew, mew”;
- With grown‐up people in the room
- ’Twas all that I could do
- To show how, at each friendly word,
- My cat’s heart swelled with pride;
- And yet some sadness came therewith,
- The news that you had cried.
- I did not cry—in Cat‐dom we
- Don’t think it etiquette
- To wash our faces when we grieve,
- And make our whiskers wet.
- Yet none the less I truly shared
- The sadness of the house;
- I think ’twas a whole week before
- I’d heart to catch a mouse.
- I even thought the cream was sour,
- I lost my appetite,
- I caterwauled upon the roof
- So dismally at night
- That spiteful neighbour Green sent in
- (He’s a low taste for dogs)—
- And begged that Grandmama would put
- My feet in walnut clogs!
- I grew morose, I spat at John,
- Put up my back at Jane,
- But your kind letter makes me feel
- A happy cat again.
- When you come back in Spring, I’ll learn
- To count my paws, and you
- Perhaps might condescend to try
- A few things I can do.
- Your way of climbing up a wall
- Strikes me as not—the thing,
- And though you’re nimble, you might take
- A lesson how to spring.
- What’s more, if you are not above
- Hearing a cat’s advice,
- In time you might be brought to feel
- More justly about mice.
- You’ve hurt my feelings now and then,
- But I forgive you that—
- So—count among your warmest friends
- Your Grandmama’s
- GREY CAT.
A.K.
