Page:The Book of Cats.djvu/20

4 read it," and added, "Besides, what do you know of the subject?" and before I had time to begin to tell him, said he expected it was very little. "Why not Dogs?" asked one friend of mine, hitting upon the notion as though by inspiration. "Or Horses," said some one else; "or Pigs; or, look here, this is the finest notion of all:—

'THE BOOK OF DONKIES,

'BY ONE OF THE FAMILY!'"

Somewhat disheartened by the reception my little project had met with, I gave up the idea for awhile, and went to work upon other things. I cannot exactly remember what I did, or how much, but my book about Cats was postponed sine die, and in the meantime I made some inquiries.

I searched high and low; I consulted Lady Cust's little volume; I bought Mr. Beeton's book; I read up Buffon and Bell, and Frank Buckland; I eagerly perused the amusing pages of the Rev. Mr. Wood; I looked through two or three hundred works of one sort and another, and as many old newspapers and odd numbers of defunct periodicals, and although I daresay I have overlooked some of the very best, I have really taken a great deal of