TABBY AND JOSEY.

 PA, A was on the back porch smoking a cigar Little John was
 playing near by with a pretty wind-wheel papa had made for him.
 Across the way two children were holding a yellow-and-white kitten
 by the tail. Kitty struggled to get away. By and by she did get
 away, and ran to Johnnie's papa, who stroked her gently, saying,
 Poor kitty poor kitty Johnnie gave her a saucer of milk, and
 she ran up and down the piazza for a bit of beef tied to a string.
 She lay down to rest after she had swallowed the meat and part of
 the string, which mamma had to pull out of her throat.
 She is such a homely cat, I don't want her here," said mamma.
 "* She is a beauty," replied papa. "Let her stay."
 "She is Tabby Wilson," said John. Nobody could tell why our
six-year-old called the new cat Tabby Wilson," but she Voes by
that name. Tabby Wilson said John's house was good enough for
her to live in, so she thought she would stay.
 When Tabby Wilson had been with John a few days, in walked
a dirty little black-and-white kitten. She was very thin and sick-
looking, and Tabby Wilson flew at her, growling and spitting, with
her paw raised to strike her.
 Let Josey Brooks alone, Tabby Wilson! screamed John, taking
up the poor little kitten and stroking her.
 "I shall not," mewed Tabby Wilson, and she flew at her. But
John took the new kitten into the kitchen and gave her some milk.
So Josey Brooks and Tabby Wilson became our cats.
 After a while Tab and Jo became quite good friends and played
together. John harnessed them to a pasteboard box. Get up," he
cried. I shall not," spit Tabby. "Nor I, either," growled Josey.
They ran under a chair and crouched close together.
 "They won't drive, mamma," whined little John, coming close to
mamma.
 "They are ungrateful quadrupeds, then," said mamma.
 "Quadrupeds, mamma. What are they ? asked John, stopping
his whining at once.
 How many feet has Tabby Wilson ? asked mamma.