Read The Adventures of a Cat, and a Fine Cat Too! Page 1

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  THE ADVENTURES OF A CAT AND A FINE CAT TOO!

  PORTRAIT OF A LADY.]

  THE ADVENTURES OF A CAT AND A FINE CAT TOO!

  By ALFRED ELWES, AUTHOR OF 'THE ADVENTURES OF A BEAR,' 'THE ADVENTURES OF A DOG,' ETC.

  With Eight Illustrations by Harrison Weir.

  LONDON: ADDEY AND CO., HENRIETTA STREET, COVENT GARDEN. MDCCCLVII.

  PRINTED BY JOHN EDWARD TAYLOR, LITTLE QUEEN STREET, LINCOLN'S INN FIELDS.

  PREFACE.

  In selecting the biography of another animal from the Archives ofCaneville, for the entertainment of a very different race, I thought Icould not do better than fix upon "The Cat;" and as the celebrated MissMinette Gattina, the historian of poor Job, had bequeathed some of herown memoirs to her native City, furnished, too, with an Introduction byherself, I at once seized upon the materials thus afforded me, andconverted them into their present form. I know not whether they willenjoy the same favour which the Public has deigned to accord to theveracious story of "A Bear," or the simple "Adventures of a Dog." Timewill show whether these true memoirs will be as attractive to youthfulreaders as the other tales of the feline race, from time immemorial suchstandard favourites; whether they will have even a chance of success,after the story of that strong-minded Puss, who trod down the ignorant,and made her own and master's fortune in a pair of top-boots; or thatother famous tabby,[1] so intimately associated with City annals and thename of Whittington, whose powers of leading her proprietor to wealthwere no less remarkable.

  I count as but of little moment the story of the "White Cat;" for thoughit often charmed me in my days of romance, when the world seemed allbright and beautiful, and the Golden Age appeared no marvel, I have beensince angry with myself at my admiration, as though charmed under falsepretences, seeing that the said "White Cat" was no Puss after all, but avery free and easy young lady in disguise.

  My Caneville Pussy is at least a true one. From the respect in which sheappears to have been held in her place of birth, and from the attentionwhich seems to have been bestowed upon her by most of the great animalsof Caneville, there is every reason to believe that the scenes shedescribes were real; for it was a weakness of the Dons in that famousCity only to grant favour where it was merited, and never to associatewith those whose moral character was not above suspicion.

  With these preliminary remarks, I leave Miss Minette to tell her ownstory. That no one was more capable of doing so may be judged from thefact that it was a customary thing with her to relate it to a crowd ofadmiring listeners, whom the fame of her beauty, adventures, and withattracted to her dwelling; and though the comments which were made andthe questions asked by one or other of the auditory, made the narrationon such occasions a rather lengthy one, the written memoirs, from whichthis tale has been translated, may be considered the pith, the marrow,as it were, of her "household narrative."

  A. E.

  _King's Arms Yard_, _Moorgate Street, London._

  [Footnote 1: Some of the learned F.A.S.'s of the present day insist thatthis celebrated animal was _tortoise-shell_, and others aver, with equalenergy, that it was _white_. Who shall decide?]

  CONTENTS.

  PAGE.

  INTRODUCTION 9 KITTENHOOD 13 DANGERS 20 A NEW LEAF 30 LOVE AND WAR 37 REFLECTIONS AND RESOLUTIONS 44 LIFE ABROAD 51 THE WHEEL OF FORTUNE 58

  ILLUSTRATIONS.

  PAGE.

  PORTRAIT OF A LADY _Frontispiece._ A JUVENILE PARTY 13 AN UNWELCOME VISITOR 27 A SELECT CLASS 35 ONE TOO MANY 42 BON VOYAGE! 46 WANDERING MINSTRELS 56 A VERY FINE CAT 63