to nurse. When she returned, she inquired whether the dogs and cats were ever permitted to come into the house.
"Not whilst they have young ones," said Mrs. Wilson, "for they make a great deal of dirt, and are very troublesome at that time. But when Puss has brought up her family, which is designed for the stable, she shall be admitted amongst us again, for she is a very useful creature, and deserves to be well treated. But I do not suffer my children to handle her; I think it looks very ugly for any one to be all over scratches. Daphne is admitted to a greater share of familiarity; she is very faithful and extremely good-natured; but we never feed her in the house, for there is no doing so without greasing the floors."
"I am opinion," said Mrs. Benson, "that a difference should be made between our treatment of cats and of dogs. There is something very savage in the nature of the former; and though they certainly are deserving of our kindness on account of their usefulness, yet they cannot make themselves so agreeable as dogs; and there is really something very formidable in their talons and teeth, and when enraged a cat is no better than a little tigress. Besides, were there not danger to one's self in nursing cats, there
