GIRL, CAT AND CUSTARD.

DEAR Pussy, I love you, an’ I’s your true friend, ’Cause I saved you a whippin’ to-day, When cook missed her custard, an’ every one said It was puss that had stealed it away. You know you are naughty sometimes, Pussy, dear, So in course you got blamed, an’—all that! An’ cook took a stick, an’ she ’clared she would beat The thief out that mizzable cat! But I—didn’t feel comfor’ble down in my heart, So I saved you the whippin’, you see, ’Cause I went to mamma, an’ telled her I ’spect She’d better tell cook to whip me. ’Cause the custard was stealed by a bad little girl Who felt dreffely sorry with shame, An’ it wouldn’t be fair to whip Pussy, in course, When that bad little girl was to blame! “Was it my little girlie?” my dear mamma said, I felt dreffely scared, but I nodded my head, An’ then mamma laughed. “Go find nurse, for I guess There’s some custard to wash off a little girl’s dress.” Well, then, ’course they knew It was I, an’ not you, Who stealed all the custard an’ then ran away. But it’s best to be true In the things that we do, An’—that’s how I saved you a spankin’ to-day.