selves at having brought tears to the eyes of our loved mistress; and from that day we tried to bear more patiently with Beauty's airs. Our pleasant rambles in the fields and woods were destroyed. If we gambolled about as formerly, Beauty grumbled; we disturbed her meditations, she said, and interrupted the train of her thoughts. If we caught, as we often had done, a fieldmouse, she called us untaught barbarians. For her part, she could not eat such fare; nothing save well-fed housemice should ever cross her lips. When the richly-tinted leaves of autumn were falling in the woods, and whirled by the fresh breeze in a merry dance, our greatest sport had been to dance after them in vain endeavours to catch them; but now we feared to do so, for well we knew Beauty would ridicule us as a set of foolish young cats. There was a cottage at the end of the wood, where of old we had often entered, and received a kindly welcome from the old woman and her grandson who lived there. Many a pleasant frisk have we had beside old Tibby as she sat at her spinning-wheel; and she was always so glad to see us. We were just like company, she said, in her loneliness; and Silphy specially loved the old woman, and would sit patiently beside her purring, whilst we frolicked around. Silphy had such a kind heart, and felt very sorry for poor old Tibby, left so much alone; and that was why Silphy liked to go often to the cottage, just to cheer the old widow a bit; for if ever there was a kind-hearted cat in the world, it was little Silphy. 'But now our visits to the cottage had ceased. We had orders not to separate from each other when out of doors; and Beauty would not go to see our old friend. No, indeed; a cat of her station would certainly not demean herself by entering the abode of such a poor, wretched creature as that. At these words Silphy fired up; for although she held her tongue, and for peace sake yielded in matters which affected herself only, Silphy brave in defence of her friends. ""Wretched, indeed! No, Beauty, you're wrong was there. Widow Tibby is poor, but not wretched; she is always cheerful, and in her way is as happy as our own darling Lady Clara. I wish you could only hear her singing about the 'happy land, far, far away,' where she says she is going some day, and you would never call her unhappy, I know." 'But Beauty cut short her discourse with the remark, that it might be all very well for such low-bred creatures as we were to visit those sort of people; but cats of distinction would as little think of doing so as Lady Clara would. ""Ah! but," said I, "the Lady Clara does visit her; for I have seen her go in. And look here." And so saying, I dragged Beauty forward to the window, where we could see without being seen, and bid her look in. There, sure enough, seated on a low stool at the old woman's feet, with an open book on her lap, from which she was evidently reading aloud, sat the Lady Clara. Every now and then she raised her full blue eyes to the widow's face with such a loving look. It was a beautiful picture, the lovely young girl and the lonely old woman; but Beauty did not like the sight. "Well," she said, as we turned away, "human beings do strange things; but certainly no high-bred cat would demean herself so." 666 'But I noticed, after that peep through the window, that Silphy seemed fonder than ever of our young lady. Certainly the one of us all who suffered most from Beauty's pride was little Silph. She was such a loving, sensitive little creature, and disliked so much all jarring and quarrelling, it seemed to hurt her as much as if she had been beaten; and Beauty was often positively cruel to her, for Silph did not assert her rights as we did; but Topsy and I grieved much to see how changed she had become. Gentle she had always been, but lively withal; now her spirit seemed crushed, and she would often sit for hours quite still and sad-like, only brightening up when Lady Clara entered the room. Indeed, it was almost impossible to be dull in her presence. She was just like a bit of dancing sunshine herself; light streamed around wherever she went. If Mrs. Smith were looking ever so grave—which at times she had a way of doing, -the moment the Lady Clara's step was heard approaching, the gloom fled, and she was ready to welcome her with a smile. One day Lady Clara came in, in great glee, carrying a gold-embroidered neck-ring in her hand, and running up to Beauty, fastened it on her neck. ""There now, Mrs. Smith; doesn't she look lovely? How well it fits her!' 'Mrs. Smith praised the ring; but in her heart she wished, I know, that it had not been put on Beauty. "She's proud enough already," she muttered; "no need to make her more so. There 'ill be no bearing with her now." 'And so it proved. From that day, Beauty's pride increased, till at last none of us ever exchanged words with her. Topsy and I did not care so much about that; but dear little Silphy looked so grieved. She was sorry for Beauty, she said. Any one who was so haughty must be unhappy, she was sure. But now a change came. Whilst roaming about, close by a long row of hothouses, Beauty trod on a piece of broken glass, which cut her foot cruelly. Her cries of distress were most piteous to hear, and we were powerless to help. Presently, however, one of the gardener's lads, attracted by the noise, came to our aid; and soon discovering the cause, took Beauty in his arms, and carried her into the house. The hurt proved a very serious one, and for weeks Beauty was obliged to lie curled up on a cushion, unable even to hobble across the room. Then we all saw what a good, kind, forgiving little thing Silphy was. She watched for every opportunity of doing a kind turn to Beauty; picked out the best bits of the meat, and conveyed to her, and sat patiently for hours beside her, trying to cheer her solitude. At first Beauty would accept none of her attentions, and turned away rudely from her; but, by degrees, she softened, and evidently was grateful for Silphy's kindness. One thing Beauty had always had a special affection for, and that was a nice fat mouse, which, of course, she could not now obtain. Topsy and I would never have thought of this, but Silphy did; and one day, when Lady Clara was sitting beside Mrs. Smith, chatting to her, and yet watching us, Silphy slipped into the room, carrying something in her mouth. Mrs. Smith at once guessed what she was after, for she touched Lady Clara on her arm, and whispered, "“Look there, my lady!" Quietly Silphy went up to the place where Beauty lay half dozing, and laid beside her a little plump mouse, and made a sign inviting her to eat it. How Beauty's eyes did glisten! her pride all vanished before this proof of thoughtful kindness, and her look of gratitude more than rewarded little Silph for her unselfish action. "Isn't it beautiful?" I heard Mrs. Smith whisper. "What a lesson that dumb creature teaches us! Just look at her, so kind and gentle as she is; and yet Beauty treated her worse than any one of them: isn't it beautiful ?" 'Lady Clara was watching the two so intently, that I scarcely thought she had heard Mrs. Smith's words; but presently she said: "Yes, beautiful; a perfect illustration of our Saviour's words, 'Love your enemies; do good to them that hate you.' But watch Beauty now. How changed she is, she looks so subdued and grateful! She has learnt the lesson, I think, that 'Pride must have a fall.'" "Yes," said Mrs. Smith; "or, as the wise king says, in the words of Scripture, 'Pride goeth before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall.'" 'From that day peace and happiness were once more our portion. Beauty soon recovered, and taught its folly by experience, laid aside her pride; and great was the delight of us all when the Lady Clara, with her own fair hands, put a beautiful blue and silver ring round the neck of little Silphy, as a reward for her kind, forgiving action.' The little kitten purred her satisfaction with her grandmother's story, and assured her she would not fail to remember that 'Pride must have a fall.' LIE STILL AND SLEEP. O LITTLE child, lie still and sleep; Thou need'st not fear No one need fear whom God doth keep Then lay thee down in slumber deep, O little child, thou need'st not wake, Are dangers spread; Thy Saviour will take care of thee, And angels watch thee for His sake, O little child, lie still and rest; Whom Jesus keeps ; And in the morning wake, how blest Love every one, but love Him best- Christian Intelligencer. |