And if the schemes of mice and men often "gang agley," it is not to be wondered at that the sagacity of the domestic cat is sometimes at fault. A very large and beautiful cat, belonging to a lady in Dumbarton, was very much attached to its home--more so, perhaps, in this case, than to its mistress, for one day, much to pussy's disgust, disreputable-looking men in aprons--so pussy thought them--came to the house and began to remove the furniture. Pussy sat on the hearthrug, washing her face with a spittle and musing. "I've been so happy here," she was thinking; "I know every mouse's hole in the house, and the places in the garden where I can hide to catch the sparrows, and the gaps in the hedge through which I can bolt when that Skye-terrier chases me, and the whitethorn bush beneath whose scented boughs I meet dear Tom in the moonlight. Oh! the thoughts of leaving Tom--no, I cannot, will not, leave the old house. Missus can hang herself if she likes. Happy thought, I'll hide--hide in the linen drawer, till this cruel war is over, and then come forth, mistress of all I survey." And so she did; but, unfortunately for her calculations, the chest of drawers was moved as well; and when at last she did "come forth," much to her bewilderment she was in a house which she had never seen before in her life. The following anecdotes may not be thought uninteresting; they are taken almost at random from hosts of others in my possession, or, if there has been any choice in the matter, they have been chosen because the three cats, whose stories here are told, lived in widely different parts of the globe, clearly proving that a cat is a cat all the world over. We'll give the English cat the preference. There is nothing very wonderful in his history. Tom was born and bred in Gloucestershire; he was presented to his master and mistress, the former of whom was a schoolmaster, when quite a little kitten, and soon became a great favourite with both. Tom, who was a tabby, soon grew in strength and beauty, until there were few male or female cats in the neighbourhood who did not own him lord and master. But Tom was so fond of his owners that he spent but little time either fighting or courting, much to his credit be it said. About this time, his master and mistress used to make frequent visits to a neighbouring village. Tom was not permitted to accompany them; but, whatever time they returned, by night or by day, wet weather or dry, poor Tom always met them nearly a mile from their own house. Tom was remarkably fond of the schoolchildren, and every day, as regularly as the clock struck twelve, at which hour the school was released for the forenoon, Tom presented himself all ready for a romp. The family dinner-hour was one o'clock, and Tom never failed to attend. There was a knocker on the door, and whenever pussy found the door closed, he used to _jump up and knock_, just as he had seen strangers do.