The Fairfield herald. [volume] (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1849-1876, 1867-12-04
jim Wolf and tho Tom Oats.

Hero is ono of Mark Twain's good
stories. IIe knows how to mako tho
reader laugh, and if the following
does not provoke smile it is because
thcre is no mirth in mankind durina
tho hot weather
knew by the sympathetic glow up
on his bald hoad-I knew by the
thoughtful look upon his facet know
by the emotional flush upon the straw.
berry on tho end of tho old FREQ liv.
er's nose, that Simon Wheelor's mem.
ory was busy with the oldcn time.
And SO | prepared to leave, because
all these were symptoms of rcminis.
ecnco-signs that he was going to be
delivered of another of his tircsomc
personal eXpericnces--but l was too
slow; he gothot the start of me. As
nearly rs | can recollect, tho inlic.
tion was couchcd in the following Ian.
guago
eve were all boys, then, and didn't
care for nothing, and didn't have nc
troubles, and didn't worry about
nothing only how to shirk school and
keep up rcyivin' state of devilmon,
all the time. This var jim Wolf
was a talking about was the prentice
and he was the bcsthoarted feller, he
was, and The most forgivin' and onsel.
lish, ever scc--well, there couldn't
be moro bullier boy than inc was
take him how you would and sorry
enough | was when l SOC him for tho
last time.
"Nle and Henry was always poster
ing him and ptostcring hoss bills on
his back and putting humble beos il
his bed, and 80 on, and sometimes
we'd crowd in and bunk with him
Notwithstanding his growing and thcr
we'd let on to get mad and fight acrost
him, so as to keep him stirred up like
flc was nineteen, he was, and long,
and lank, and bashful, and we was fif
teen and sixteen, and tolerably lazy
and worthless.
$50, that night, you know, that my
sister Mary give the candy pullin'
they started us off to bed early, so a:
the company could have full swing
and We rung i'll on jim to have some
| fun.
"OIr window looked out onto ih,
roof of the ell, and about ten o'clocl
a couple of old tom eats got to rarin
and chargin' around on it and carryil
on like sin. There was four inches o
snow on the roof, and it was frozen S,
that there was a right smart crust O
ice on it, and the moon was shining
bright, and we could sec them cat,
like daylight. First they'd stand o
and c-yow-yow-yow-yow, jnst tho
same as if they was cussin one an
other, you know, and bow up thei
backs and push up their tails, and
swell around and spit, and then all o
sudden tho gray cat he'd snatch ;
handful of fur out Of the ycllcr cat.
ham, and spin her around, like a but
ton on q barn-door. But the yalle
cat was game, and he'd come ane
clinch, and the way they'd gougo, an,
bite and howl and tho way thcy'e
make the fur fly was powerful.
"Wcll, jim, he got disgustcd will
the row, and 'lowol he'd climb ou
there and shake him otf'n the i: O..
lie hadn't rccly 20 notion doin' it
likely, but We cvcrlastin'ly doggct
him, and bullyraggcd him, and 'lowcc
how he'd always Dragged how ht
wouldn't take dare, and so on, til
bimcby he higstcd up the winder, an,
10 and behold you he wcnt-wcnt cx
actly as he was-nothin' on but shir
and it was short. But you ought t,
have seen him ! You ought to sc,
him crccpin' over that leo, and dig
GIN his toc-nails and fngor-nails il
for to keep from slippin' and 'bov,
all, you ought to have seen that shir
happm' in the wind, and them lon,
ridiculous shanks Of his'n glistenin
i'll the moonlight.
"Thcm comp'ny folks was dow,
there under the caves, the whole souat
of 'cm undor that oncry shed Of ole
dead Washin'ton Bower yines-al
settin' round about two dozen sasser
OF hot candy, which they sot in tn
snow to cool. And they was laughin
and talkin' lively but they didn'
know nothin' bout the panorama tina
was goin' on over their heads. We'll
Jim he went fneakin' and q sncakin
up unbcknowns to them tom cats
they was swishin' their tails, vow
yowin' and thrcatenin' to clinch, yo,
know, and not payin' any attention
nc was sncakin' right up to the com1
of the roof, till he was in foot and
half of 'cm, and then all of suddc,
he made a grab for the yallcr cat
But by gosh he missed iirc and slim
ped his holt, and his heels fle,
up and he Aoppcd on his bacl
and shot oll'n that roof like dart
went smashin' and q crashin' dow,
through them old rusty vines an,
right in the dead centre of them com
p'ny people !-sot down like an earth
quake in them two dozen sassers 0
red hot candy, and lot off howl tha
was bark from tho tomb Them girl,
well they felt you know. They Sc,
he warn't dressed for comply and 8,