My Dear Helen:
That is what your mother calls you, I know, for I jumped up on
writing-table just now, and looked, while she was out of the room; and I
am sure I have as much right to call you so as she has, for if you were
my own little kitty, and looked just like me, I could not love you any
more than I do. How many good naps I have had in your lap! and how many
nice bits of meat you have saved for me out of your own dinner! Oh, I'll
never let a rat, or a mouse, touch any thing of yours so long as I live.
I felt very unhappy after you drove off yesterday, and did not know what
to do with myself. I went into the barn, and thought I would take a nap
on the hay, for I do think going to sleep is one of the very best things
for people who are unhappy; but it seemed so lonely without old Charlie
stamping in his stall that I could not bear it, so I went into the
garden, and lay down under the damask rose-bush, and caught flies. There
is a kind of fly round that bush which I like better than any other I
ever ate. You ought to see that there is a very great difference between
my catching flies and your doing it. I have noticed that you never eat
them, and I have wondered that when you were always so kind to me you
could be so cruel as to kill poor flies for nothing: I have often wished
that I could speak to you about it: now that your dear mother has taught
me to print, I shall be able to say a great many things to you which I
have often been unhappy about because I could not make you understand. I
am entirely discouraged about learning to speak the English language,
and I do not think anybody takes much trouble to learn ours; so we cats
are confined entirely to the society of each other, which prevents our
knowing so much as we might; and it is very lonely too, in a place where
there are so few cats kept as in Amherst. If it were not for Mrs.
Hitchcock's cat, and Judge Dickinson's, I should really forget how to
use my tongue. When you are at home I do not mind it, for although I
cannot talk to you, I understand every word that you say to me, and we
have such good plays together with the red ball. That is put away now in
the bottom drawer of the little workstand in the sitting-room. When your
mother put it in, she turned round to me, and said, "Poor pussy, no more
good plays for you till Helen comes home!" and I thought I should
certainly cry. But I think it is very foolish to cry over what cannot be
helped, so I pretended to have got something into my left eye, and
rubbed it with my paw. It is very seldom that I cry over any thing,
unless it is "spilt milk." I must confess, I have often cried when that
has happened: and it always is happening to cats' milk. They put it into
old broken things that tip over at the least knock, and then they set
them just where they are sure to be most in the way. Many's the time
Josiah has knocked over that blue saucer of mine, in the shed, and when
you have thought that I had had a nice breakfast of milk, I had nothing
in the world but flies, which are not good for much more than just a
little sort of relish. I am so glad of a chance to tell you about this,
because I know when you come home you will get a better dish for me.
I hope you found the horse-chestnuts which I put in the bottom of the
carriage for you. I could not think of any thing else to put in, which
would remind you of me: but I am afraid you will never think that it was
I who put them there, and it will be too bad if you don't, for I had a
dreadful time climbing up over the dasher with them, and both my jaws
are quite lame from stretching them so, to carry the biggest ones I
could find.
There are three beautiful dandelions out on the terrace, but I don't
suppose they will keep till you come home. A man has been doing
something to your garden, but though I watched him very closely all the
time, I could not make out what he was about. I am afraid it is
something you will not like; but if I find out more about it, I will
tell you in my next letter. Good by.
Your affectionate Pussy.
[Illustration: "I felt very unhappy after you drove off yesterday."
Page 28.]
[Illustration: "I hope you found the horse-chestnuts which I put in
the carriage for you. I had a dreadful time climbing up over the
dasher with them."--Page 33.]