Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1867-10-03
Jim Wolf, and the Tom
c Cats. a5slF1psg 81

| Here is one of Mark Twain's
good stories. He knows how to
make the reader laugh, and if
the following does not provoke a
Ismile, it is because there is no
mirth in mankind during the hot
weather:
Iknew by the sympathetic glow
upon his bald head-I knew by
the thoughtful look upon his face
IL knew by the emotional flush
upon the strawberry on the end
of the old free liver's nose, that
Simon Wheeler's memory was bu-
sy with the olden time. And so
I prepared to leave, because all
these were symptoms of reminis-
cence-signs that he was going
to be delivered of another Of his
1tiresome personal experiences
but / was too slow; he got the
start of me. AS nearly as / can
recollect, the infiction was couch
ed in the following language:
We were all boys then, and
didn't care for nothing, and didn't
have no troubles, and didn't wor-
ry about nothing only how to
shirk school and keep up arevivin'
state of devilment all the time.
This-yar Jim Wolf l was talk
ing about, was the prentice, and
he was the best-hearted feller, he
was, and the most forgivin' and
onselfish / ever did see. WelL
there couldn't be more bullier
boy than what he was, take him
how you would; and sorry enough
| / was when / seen him tor the
last time. 5
Me and Henrywas always pes
tering him and plastering horse
bills on his back and putting bum
bic bees in his bed, and so on, and
sometimes we'd crowd in and
bunk with him, Notwithstanding his
growing, and then we'd let on to
get mad and fight across him, SO
as to keep him stirred up like
He was nineteen, he was, and
long and lank, and bashful, and we
was fifteen and sixteen, and toll
cradle lazy and worthless.
So, that night, you know, that
my sister Mary give the candy
pullin', they started us off to bed
early, so as to give the comp'ny
full swing, and we rung in on Jim
| to have some fun. .-
Our window looked out onto
the roof of the ell, and about ten
o'clock couple of old tom-cats
got to rairin' and chargin' around
on it and carryin' on like sin.-
There was four inches Of snow on
the roof, and it was frozen SO that
there was a right smart crust of
ice on it, and the moon was shi-
ming bright; and we could see
them cats like daylight. First
they'd stand off and e-yow-yow-
VOW, just the same as If they
was a cussin one another, you
know, and bow up their backs
and push up their tails, and swell
and spit, and then all of a sud
den the gray cat he'd snatch a
handful Of fur out of the yaller
cats ham, and spin him around,
like a button on a barn-door. But
the yaller cat was game, and he'd
come and clinch, and the way
they'd gouge, and bite, and howl,
and the way they'd make the fur
fly was powerful.
Well Jim, he got disgusted with
the row, and lowed he'd climb
out there and shake 'em ofn that
roof. He hadn't RELY no notion
doin' it, likely, but we everlastin'- :
ly dogged him, and bullyragged
him, and lowed bow he'd always
Dragged how he wouldn't take a
dare, and SO on, till bimeby he
highsted up the winder, 10 and
behold you, he went-went ex-
actly as be was-nothin' on but o
shirt and it was short, But you
ought to see him! You ought to
see him creepin' over the ice, and
diggin' his toe-nails and finger
nails in for to keep from slippin', /,
and 'bove all, you ought to seen
that shirt flappin' in the wind,
and them long redicklous shanks
of his'n a rlistening in the moon