Amy Walton

“ The next afternoon Kitty arrived, full of excitement, and ready to be more than delighted with everything.
She was eleven years old, just Martha’s age, and Betty was two years younger. Fresh from her life in London, where there always were so many lessons to be learned and so little “fun” of any kind, this beautiful country home was a sort of paradise to her. To have no one to scold her, no lessons to learn, no tiresome straight walks with her governess, and above all, to have two playfellows always ready to join in pleasures and games! ”

“ It could never be a pretty cat to the general eye, but when it came trotting noiselessly to meet Ruth, uttering its short mew of welcome, she thought it beautiful, and would not have changed it for the sleekest, handsomest cat in the kingdom.
But it was the kitchen cat still. All this did not bring it one step nearer to the nursery. It must still live, Ruth often thought with sorrow, amongst the rats and mice and beetles. Nothing could ever happen which would induce Nurse Smith to allow it to come upstairs. ”

“ She always had a great deal on her mind when she came up to town, and liked to get through her shopping in time to go back in the afternoon, so she could never stay long with Ruth. She came bustling in, looking very strong, and speaking in a loud cheerful voice, and all the while she was there she gave quick glances round her at everything in the room. Ruth was well enough to be up, and was sitting in a big chair by the nursery fire, with picture-books and toys near; but she was not looking at them. Her eyes were fixed thoughtfully on the fire, and her mind was full of the kitchen cat. ”

“ Aunt Clarkson’s last remark came loud and clear:
“We shall cure that at Summerford, Dr Short. We’re not dull people there, and we’ve no time for fancies.”
She smiled, the doctor smiled, they shook hands and both soon went away. Ruth leant her head on her hand. Was there no one who would understand how much she wanted to see the kitchen cat? Would they all talk about fancies? What were Lucy and Cissie and Bobbie to her?—strangers, and the cat was a friend. She would rather stroke its rough head, and listen to its purring song, than have them all to play with. ”

“ Mr Lorimer lifted her gently on to his knee.
“Where is this cat?” he said, turning to Nurse with such a frown that Ruth thought he must be angry. “Why hasn’t Miss Ruth had it before if she wanted it?”
“Well, I believe there is a cat somewhere below, sir,” she replied in an injured tone; “but I’d no idea, I’m sure, that Miss Ruth was worritting after it. To the best of my knowledge she’s only seen it once. She’s so fond of making believe that it’s hard to tell when she is in earnest. ”

“ When she went up and down stairs she peered and peeped about to see if she could catch a glimpse of its hurrying grey figure, and she never came in from a walk without expecting to meet it on her way to the nursery. But she never did. The kitchen cat kept to its own quarters and its own society. Perhaps it had been too often “bannocked” down again to venture forth. And yet Ruth felt sure that it had been glad when she had spoken kindly to it. What a pity that Nurse did not like cats! ”

“ You may imagine how Diana rejoiced over Sarah and petted her, and how interested she and everyone else were to hear how the little dog had been traced to a coachman’s house in a mews close by. Sarah, on her side, seemed very glad to be with her dear little mistress again, and after returning her caresses curled herself up and went to sleep on the sofa, no doubt tired with her adventures. How Diana wished she could tell her all she had done and seen on that Sunday when everyone had been so unhappy about her! ”

“ So many ladies, but not Mother; so many dogs, small and big, but not one quite like Sarah. Diana’s mouth began to droop more and more with disappointment, and she was very near crying. Even Mother could not bring Sarah back!
“A watched kettle never boils, Miss Diana,” said Nurse. “You’d much better come away from the window and play, and then the time’d pass quicker.”
But Diana would not move. Just as Nurse spoke she caught sight of a bonnet in the distance just like Mother’s, but she had been so often deceived that she hardly dared to hope. ”

“ They’re rather sharp to it.”
“It shall have dinner with me every night,” said Mr Lorimer.
In this way the kitchen cat was raised from a lowly station to great honour, and its life henceforth was one of peace and freedom. It went where it would, no one questioned its right of entrance to the nursery or dared to slight it in any way. In spite, however, of choice meals and luxury it never grew fat, and never, except in Ruth’s eyes, became pretty. It also kept to many of its old habits, preferring liberty and the chimney-pots at night to the softly-lined basket prepared for its repose. ”

“ Ruth had never been a greedy child, and if Nurse Smith wondered sometimes that she now spent all her money on cakes, she concluded that they must be for a dolls’ feast, and troubled herself no further. Miss Ruth was always so fond of “making believe.” So things went on very quietly and comfortably, and though Ruth could not discover that the kitchen cat got any fatter, it had certainly improved in some ways since her attentions. ”

“ Some are rough and some smooth, some fit us exactly, and some don’t fit us at all. Some are softly-lined with all sorts of comforts, and some are full of pricks and troubles. And it is always very difficult to see out of them.”
“Why?” asked Betty.
“Because, like the toad’s hole we saw just now, our own lives are so near us and surround us so closely, that it is only by making an effort that we can get out of them and understand other people’s lives at all. The only thing that can really make us do that is sympathy.” ”

“ It was Mr Lorimer who came to her help, and succeeded at last in soothing its fears and coaxing it to drink some milk, after which it settled down placidly with her in the big chair and began its usual song of contentment. She examined it carefully with a grave face, and then looked apologetically at her father.
“It doesn’t look its best” she said. “Its paws are white really, but I think it’s been in the coal-hole.”
This seemed very likely, for not only its paws but the smart ribbon Ruth had tied round its neck was grimy and black. ”

“ Standing stiffly erect behind Ruth’s chair, Nurse Smith repeated all that the doctor and Mrs Clarkson had said.
“And I think myself, sir,” she added, “that Miss Ruth will be all the better of a cheerful change. She worrits herself with fancies.”
Ruth looked earnestly up at her father’s face, but said nothing.
“Worries herself?” repeated Mr Lorimer, with a puzzled frown. “What can she have to worry about? Is there anything you want, my dear?” he said, taking hold of Ruth’s little hot hand and bending over her. ”

“ She would ask her father! True, it was hardly likely that he would have any thoughts to spare for such a small thing as the kitchen cat; but still there was just a faint chance that he would understand better than Nurse and Aunt Clarkson. So she waited with patience, listening anxiously for his knock and the slam of the hall door, and at last, just as Nurse was getting the tea ready, it came. Her heart beat fast. Soon there was a hurried step on the stairs, and her father entered the room. Ruth studied his face earnestly. ”

“ At any rate you know Kitty has no sisters to play with, and very little of this country life you all enjoy so much. While her holiday lasts I should try to make it as pleasant as possible for her, if I were you.”
“I do,” said Betty, “generally. Only sometimes she makes me feel so cross.”
At this moment up rushed Kitty, and elbowed Betty away from Miss Grey’s side.
“You’ve had her long enough!” she shouted. “It’s my turn now!”
And Betty was thinking so much about the toad in the hole, that she did not even frown. ”

“ But she often became weary of this; and there were times when she was tired of her toys, and tired of Nurse Smith, and did not know what in the world to do with herself.
Each day passed much in the same way. Ruth’s governess came to teach her for an hour every morning, and then after her early dinner there was a walk with Nurse, generally in one direction. And after tea it was time to go and see her father—quite a long journey, through the silent house, down the long stairs to the dining-room where he sat alone at his dessert. ”

“ Mr Lorimer started back with surprise at the unexpected words.
“The kitchen cat!” he repeated, looking distractedly at Nurse. “Her best friend! What does the child mean?”
“Miss Ruth has fancies, sir,” she began with a superior smile. But she did not get far, for at that word Ruth started to her feet in desperation.
“It isn’t a fancy!” she cried; “it’s a real cat. I know it very well and it knows me. ”

“ When we do that it makes us remember to be patient and gentle with our friends and companions, for if they live in uncomfortable holes it must be difficult for them to be unselfish and amiable. If we had their troubles and vexations we might not be half so pleasant as they are.”
Betty was silent.
“Do you think Martha’s hole and mine is nicer than Kitty’s?” she said at last. ”

“ From this humiliating position I heard the voice of the man washing the cart:—
“‘That your dorg?’ And someone answered, ‘It belongs to the lady.’
“You may judge, my dear mistress, how frightened I felt. Here was a sudden end to my freedom! Imprisoned in a strange man’s pocket, from which escape was impossible, nearly stifled with the smell of tobacco, and filled with dread as to what would happen next. I managed to wriggle my head out of the corner, but saw at once that it would be useless to think of jumping out, the distance from the ground being far too great. ”

“ The acquaintance thus fairly begun was soon followed by other meetings, and the cat was often in the hall when Ruth came downstairs, though it did not appear every evening. The uncertainty of this was most exciting, and “Will it be there to-night?” was her frequent thought during the day. As time went on, and they grew to know each other better, she began to find the kitchen cat a far superior companion to either her dolls or the man in the picture. ”

“ Of course she would insist on being first in everything, on ruling everyone, and would be as pushing and disagreeable as possible. It was all very well to say that she was a visitor and must do as she wished, but that did not make it any the less provoking. ”

“ Ruth received these presents without much surprise or joy. She was used to buying things, and did not find it very interesting; for she could not hope for any sign of pleasure from her dolls when she brought them new clothes or furniture.
It is a little dull when all one’s efforts for people are received with a perfectly unmoved face. She had once brought Nurse Smith a small china image, hoping that it would be an agreeable surprise ”