"He did," said Mr. Dooley. "Niver laid his head to a pillow before
eight, up with th' moon: he's suffered as no man can tell. But he'll be
all r-right whin his mind's at r-rest."
ON THE PRESIDENT'S CAT.
"'Twas this way about Dr. Huckenlooper. Mack has a cat that was give him
f'r a Chris'mas prisint be me frind Pierpont Morgan, an' th' cat was a
gr-reat favor-ite in th' White House. 'Twas as quite as th' Sicrety iv
Agriculture an' as affectionate as th' Sicrety iv th' Three-asury. Th'
cat was called Goold Bonds, because iv th' inthrest he dhrew. He very
often played with th' Sicrety iv th' Navy, an' ivry wan that come to th'
White House f'r a job loved him.
"But wan day Goold Bonds begun to look bad. He cudden't ate th' r-rich
crame out iv th' di'mon'-studded saucer. He stopped castin' an eye at
th' c'nary in th' cage. Whin th' Sicrety iv th' Navy wint down f'r to
play with him, Goold Bonds spit at that good an' gr-reat man. Mack was
shavin' himsilf befure th' lookin'-glass, an' had jus' got his face
pulled r-round to wan side f'r a good gash, whin he heerd a scream iv
ag'ny behind him, an' tur-rned to see Goold Bonds leap up with his paws
on his stomach an' hit th' ceilin'. Mack give a cry iv turror, an'
grabbed at Goold Bonds. Away wint Goold Bonds through th' house. Th'
Sicrety iv War seen him comin', an' called, 'Pussy, pussy.' Goold Bonds
wint through his legs, an' galloped f'r where th' Postmaster-gin'ral was
settin' editin' his pa-aper. Th' Postmaster-gin'ral had jus' got as far
as 'we opine,' whin he see Goold Bonds, an' he bate th' cat to th' windy
be a whisker.
"Well, Goold Bonds ended up in th' coal cellar, an' they was a cab'net
council f'r to see what was to be done. 'Sind f'r Doctor Heinegagubler,'
says th' Sicrety iv War. 'He's wan iv th' gr-reatest surgeons iv our
time,' he says, 'an' can cure annything fr'm pips to glanders,' he says.
Th' famous Doctor Honeycooler was summoned. 'Sir,' says Mack, 'Goold
Bonds, th' pride iv th' administhration, has had a fit,' he says. ''Twud
br-reak our hear-rts to lose our little pet,' he says. 'Go,' he says,
'an' take such measures as ye'er noble healin' ar-rt sug-gists,' he
says; 'an' may th' prayers iv an agonized foster-parent go with ye,' he
says. An' Doctor Higgenlocker wint down into th' coal-shed; an' whin he
come back, it was with Goold Bonds in his ar-rms, weak an' pale, but
with a wan smile on his lips.
"Afther embracin' Goold Bonds an' tuckin' him away in bed, Mack tur-rns
to th' Dock. 'Dock,' he says, 'ye have performed a noble sarvice,' he
says. 'I appint ye a major-gin'ral,' he says. 'I'm that already,' says
th' Dock. 'I've r-rich relatives in Philadelphia,' he says. 'But,' says
Mack, ''tis a shame to think iv ye'er noble sarvices bein' wasted,' he
says, 'whin ye'er counthry calls,' he says. 'I appint ye,' he says,
'surgeon-gin'ral,' he says. 'Pro-ceed,' he says, 'to Cubia, an' stamp
out th' dhread ravages,' he says, 'iv r-ringbone an' stagger,' he says.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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