Daisy: the autobiography of a catSwan, Miranda Eliot
General
Daisy: the autobiography of a cat
Swan, Miranda Eliot
Cats -- Fiction
So Joanna had a white cambric embroidered dress just like her little
mistress's, that Aunt Martha made (with tears falling on her work), and
she was laid in her little mistress's arms. Aunt Martha covered her with
flowers, and sheltered her under the sleeve of her little mistress's
dress as well as she could, knowing how much would be said about her
indulging such a queer fancy of the dear child. As Jack said to her, "I
do feel glad Joanna is with her. It seems so hard to put her away
alone;" and Aunt Martha agreed with him.
They had the greatest trouble with Jett, to keep her out of the room.
Every time the door was open she would hide under the bed. She had taken
Joanna twice out to the seat in the garden, where she had so often seen
her in Hope's arms, and Aunt Martha had to shut her out doors while she
dressed Joanna.
Hope looked lovely, with beautiful flowers around her, and leaves from
the plants she had loved. Her father was dazed at her loss, but Aunt
Martha and Jack were the real mourners.
How it happened they never knew. They had kept track of Jett all they
could, and Jack had petted her, and tried to comfort her, but all to no
purpose. She was like a wild cat, crouching down in corners and watching
them all. The last night before the funeral Hope was placed in the
casket, and it was closed. Jett must have crawled into a corner under
the sofa when the door was open, for she was found in the morning,
sitting on the head of the casket, as solemn as if she knew she had been
watching her dear little mistress.
She was not willing to go to any one, and disappeared till just as the
funeral left the house, when she was seen on the opposite side of the
street. When they reached the old cemetery, she was noticed behind some
shrubs.
Jack got out of the carriage to see if it was Jett, and take her home,
but could not find her. They thought it could not be she; but when days
passed away and she did not return, they were sure it was Jett who had
followed to her little mistress's grave. They sought her everywhere,
leaving the outbuildings open, so in case she returned she could get in;
but they never found any trace of her again.
There were stories, that they did not give credence to, of a cat's being
seen hovering around the grave; but many people did believe that it was
Jett guarding the grave of her dear one.
Superstitious people said that she was a ministering spirit sent to
guard and comfort the life of that dear little child. That her mission
being fulfilled, she went back to those who sent her, perhaps to be
still with the dear child in Paradise. Others said she was a witch cat,
spared for a little while, to be happy in this beautiful home; but her
mission being over, the witches called her back. That perhaps at night
she was allowed to visit the grave of the one she had served so
devotedly.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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