[Illustration: 9042]
LL Toots' playmates among the boys and girls knew how very fond he was
of his four-footed friends, and the children were very fond of watching
him when he made his pets perform all sorts of tricks. Poor Toots
was nearly ill one day when one of his pet cats was found dead in the
stable. He cried and would not be comforted, but his mamma said that
poor pussy had not been well for a long time, and she probably died in
a fit. Not long after Pussy Meek's death, Toots was confined to his room
with a bad cough, and his mamma went to a store to buy some cough drops
which the doctor had ordered. When the old lady who kept the store heard
that Toots was ill she said, "I wish I had something nice to send him;
he is so polite and kind. Do you suppose he would like another kitten?
We have three beauties now, and our cat mother is a fine old mouser."
"He would like it very much. I left him just now crying for his dear pet
Pussy Meek."
"Dear little fellow!" said the old lady, "he shall have the very
prettiest one we have."
Then she took a candy-box and made some holes in it and put the
prettiest little kitty inside.
Toots was wild with pleasure; he sat up in bed and held her in his arms,
then he fed her some warm milk, and at last she cuddled down with her
little head peeping out of the bosom of his night-gown, and then she
slept a long, long time. Toots was much troubled to find a pretty name
for her. At last he said, "poor little Pussy, we cannot find a name
good enough or sweet enough for you." His mamma said suppose we call her
_Psyche._ This pleased Toots very much and the new kitty was duly named
Pysche, and a nice ribbon was tied about her neck. For many days she
lived in Toots' room and nestled close to him. As she grew older she
grew wiser and very full of fun. All summer long she chased flies and
grasshoppers, and when the children played ball, Pysche understood it
all and took her place properly. She has two very cunning tricks--one
was to never enter a door if she could make some one open a window to
let her in, and the other was to hide away at bedtime and then come out
to play when all the house was still. In the summer time Pysche went to
the seaside with the family, where she was a great pet with the grown-up
people as well as the children.
[Illustration: 0044]