INTELLIGENT CAT.

A RUSH and a dash and a scamper, A warm, nestling armful of fur; Our brief game of tag—being over— Gave place to the tenderest purr. He measures a yard in the morning When stretched in a sweet, dreamless sleep, The rich, tawny fur, soft as velvet, Showing broad, even stripes, dark and deep. He lies on my lap in the sunshine, I rock him to sleep on my arm, I feel all the pleasure of loving, And striving to shield him from harm. He runs up the tree to my window To tap with his paw on the pane And plead, in his sweet coaxing language, For comfort and shelter again. Each movement of gentle contentment, Replete with luxurious grace, Proclaims him at once and forever The king of the feline race.