December 14, 1889

A Spark Divine: a book for animal-lovers (1913) is a short book, 60 some pages, by Rudolf Chambers Lehmann (January 3, 1856 to January 22, 1929) . This noted British writer, raised in a literary household where Dickens, and George Eliot were guests, gained fame as a contributor to Punch magazine for three decades. His first contribution to this British mainstay of humor, was in the 14 December 1889 issue. He was famous for his parodies, but in our excerpt from A Spark Divine, we see just a good writer and a gentle heart:


With what a dignity and grace and discretion does a cat make her offer. She tells you plainly it is there for the taking, but she would scorn to force it upon you, for she has her reserve and is proud of her independence. "If you like me," she seems to say, "and are willing to respect me, count me your faithful cat. I shall make few claims on you. An armchair, a cushion, a saucer of milk, a plate of fish will satisfy my wants. I shall never plague you to take me out for exercise, having my own irregular hours for taking the air by myself. Sometimes I will follow you round the garden, but never slavishly, for little moving things attract me and odds and ends of toilet have to be performed. But I am at my best inside your room." And in this the cat is right. Outside, no doubt, she may have an opportunity to display her courage. Some blundering bully of a dog may see her and, imagining a facile prey or building hope upon the the supposed imminence of her swift retreat, he makes at her in a sudden onset. Then she, surprised, but not discomfited, awaits his coming, her lips drawn back, her eyes gleaming defiance, her ears flattened down, and her body tense. He, as he rushes, beholds her standing fast and at the last he leaps aside to right or left, either pretending that there is no cat or trying to persuade others that some pressing business, newly discovered, has drawn him off his direct course. And in another moment the cat is up a tree, hurling satire down at her baffled enemy. And the strange thing is that, within the house, these two may be on terms of easy friendship, lying on the same rug and even lapping from the same dish.

Lehmann's progeny include Helen Lehmann (1899-1985), Rosamond Lehmann, (1901-1990) a novelist, Beatrix Lehmann (1903-1979), an actress, and  John Lehmann (1907-1987) writer and publisher. These are all famous names.