North Iowa times. [volume] (McGregor, Iowa) 1867-current, 1867-08-21

l knew by the sympathetic glow upon
his bald hcad--I knew by the thoughtful
look upon his face knew by the emo
tional flush upon the strawberry on the
end of the old free liver's nose, that Simon
Wheelers memory was busy with the olden
time. And so prepared to leave, because
all these were symptoms of a "reminiscences
signs that he was going to be delivered
of another of his tiresome personal expert
ence-but was too slow he got the. start
of me. AS nearly as l can recollect, the
infection was couched in the following Ian
guage: .-....,.,-
ave was all boys, then, and didn't care
for nothing only how to shlrk school and
keep up a revivin' state of dcvilmcnt all
the time. This var Jim Wolfe l was talk
ing about, was the prentice, and he was
the best-hearted Teller, he was, and he was
the most forgivin' and onselfsh / ever saw
well, there couldn't be more bullier
boy than what he was, take him how you
would; and sorry enough was when l
see him for the last time.
a" Me and Henry was always Fostering
him plastering boss bills on his back and
putting bumble-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 tolerably lazy and worth
less.
$50, that night, you know, that my sis
ter Mary gave the candy pullin' they star
ted us off to bed early, SO as the company
could have full swing, and we wrung in on
Jim to have some fun.
Our winder 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 frosc 90 that thcrc wac right
smart crust of ice on it, and the moon was
shinin' bright and we could see them cats
like daylight. First, they'd stand off and
e-yow-yow-yow, just the same as if they
was a-cussin' one another, you know, and
bow up their backs and bush up their tails
| and swell around and spit, and then, all Of
| sudden, the gray cat he'd snatch hand.
full of fur off the yaller cat ham, and spin
him around Ikea button on 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 disguised with the
row, and lowed he'd climb out there, and
shake 'em off N that roof He hadn't rec
ly no notion of doin' it, likely, but we ev-
erlastingly logged hina and bullyragged
him, and lowed he'd always Dragged no =
he wouldn't take dare, and SO on, till
bimeby he histed the winder, aud 10 and
behold you, he went-wcnt exactly as he
was-nothin' on but shirt, and it was
short. You ought to seen him cre-e-pin'
over that ice, and diggin' his toe-nails and
his fnger-nails in Cor to keep hisself from
slippin'; 'bove all you ought 70 have seen
that shirt q fappin' in the wind, and them
| long ridiculous shanks of his'n a-glistnen'
in the moonlight.
:. Them comply folks was down there
under the caves, the whole squad Of 'ern
under that or nary shed of dead Washn' ton
Bower vines-all settin' round about two
dozen sassers Of hot candy, which they d
sot in the snow to cool. And they was a
laughin' and talkin' lively but bless you,
they didn't know nothin' bout the paaora-
ma that was goin' over their heads. Well,
Jim, he went on sneakin' and sneakin' up,
onbeknown to them cats-they was both a
swishin' their tails and yow-yowin' and
threatenin' to clinch, you know, and not
payin' any attention--he went sneakin'
and a sneakin' right up to the comb of the
| roof, till he was in o foot and half oil
EN-, and then all of sudden he made O
grab for the yaller cat /! But, by gosh, he
missed fire and slipped his holt. and his
heels few up and he Topped on his bach
and shot off'n that roof like dart went
smashin' and crashin' down thro' then
old rusty vines and landed right in the
head centre of all them comp'ny people
set down like yearthquake in them two
dozen sassers of red hot candy, and let of
a howl that was bark from the tombs i
Them girls-well, they left, you know
They seed he warn't dressed for comp'ny
and so they left. All done in second
it was just one little war-whoop, and
whish Of their dresses, and blame thu
wench of 'em was in sight anywhere
Jim, he was sight. lie was gaumed
with bilin' hot molasses candy clean down
to his heels, and had more busted sasscrs
hangin' to him than if he was an Injur
princess-and he came prancin' up stair,
just whoopin' and a cussin', and every
jump he shed some china, and every squirm
he fetched he. dropped some candy
And >blistered Why, bless your soul
that pore cretur couldn't RELY set down
comfortable for as much as four We eks."-
Mark 7Wain. Is