AUGUSTUS

Northern Advocate, 11 July 1936, Page 6 (Supplement)

AUGUSTUS

Yes, Augustus was a large Persian cat greatly prized by Miss Smith, as it was her favourite pet, and also because he had won several prizes of which she was very proud.

Of course, Miss Smith was not very young, in fact, she was rather old, somewhere about 45 or 50, I think I heard someone say. By the people in the village she was often termed the “old maid,” and she was always finding fault with something or other. If it was not the weather, or price of butter, it was the behaviour of . those unruly boys who tormented that splendid cat, the so-called Augustus.

How and where Miss Smith got that cat it always remained a mystery to me. And what a fuss was made of it. Augustus would not eat steak, or drink milk that was a day old.

Each morning, directly after Miss Smith had finished her breakfast and given Augustus his, she would tell the maid to bring in the brush and comb, which she promptly did (the maid) and quickly disappeared after glaring at that detestable Augustus who sat lazily lapping away at his saucer of milk. When he had finished his meal, he was carefully brushed and combed for nearly an hour, and then he was left to sleep on the mat by the fire, or any other place he was likely to be in the way. Now, I shall tell you of one occasion when I went to visit Miss Smith. She had invited me to her place for the afternoon, and not being able to invent any suitable excuse I had to go. Well, after we had finished our afternoon tea. Miss Smith proposed a walk in the garden, because she thought I would like to see the jonquils and daffodils that were out. As we walked along she told me for the sixth time that afternoon, about Augustus and his good qualities. Such a gentle and well behaved cat—he had never stolen a thing, and as for killing birds, Miss Smith declared he would not do such a thing. He was different to cfther cats in his wavs. Yes, sc I thought.

Soon we reached the garden aid Miss Smith was so intent on describing various kmds of plants, that she diu not hear a loud crash, something similar to the sound of breaking glass. “What’s that noise?” I asked, looking quickly towards the house. What s what noise?” snapped Miss Smith as she straightened up. and glared at me over her spectacles. “I might be ” Before I could answer, Miss Smith started running up the path, or to be more correct trotting up the path, and hurriedly she entered the house. Thinking the maid had dropped the tray of dishes I quickly ran into the kitchen, but as I entered I heard another crash. Along the passage I ran and stopped at the dining room door. “Augustus! Augustus! What have you been doing?” Miss Smith cried.

As for me, I could hardly suppress my laughter for there was the noted Augustus running wildly up and down and round and round with the jug of milk stuck on his head. He had not only stolen the milk, but also broken most of the afternoon tea set. It appeared that when he had got his head into the jug, and not being able to get it out again, that innocent cat had walked backwards over the edge of the table, and in doing so, had clawed at the table-cloth and pulled the dishes on top of himself. Well, after much pulling and tugging we managed to relieve that worthy cat of his tight-fitting headpiece. I would not have believed Augustus could do such a thing,” Miss Smith said as she surveyed the broken cups and saucers. “Now if that maid had cleared those dishes away when I told her, Augustus would never have been tempted to dring the milk. It is her fault, Miss Smith finished as she eyed me over her spectacles. Ye-es. perhaps it was,” I smiled as I cast a glance at Augustus who was licking the milk off the fur. Soon after I took my leave not altogether feeling sorry that I had paid Miss Smith a visit.