Weekly Trinity journal., 1867-11-16
NUMBER As.
Jim Wolfe and the Tom Cats.
BY d" MARX TWAIN

knew by the sympathetic glow ON his bald
read knew by the thoughtful look upon his
9&e-l knew by the emotional blush upon the
Sanwperfy on the end of the old free liver's
lope, that Simon Wheeler's memory was lRsy
WIN the olden time. And so prepared to leave,
ior All tnese were symptoms of a remniscence-
patA was TOO slow he got the start of me. AS
naAny as can recollect, the infliction was
copfhed In the following language:
NHe was all boys then, and didn't care for
nothing only how to shirk school and keep upa
revivin' state of devilment all the time This
var Jim Wolfe l was talking about was the
prentice, and he was the best hearted fellow,
he was, and the most forgivn and onse6sh I
ever see-well, there couldn't be a more bullier
boy than what he was take him how you would,
and sorry enough was when see him for the
last time
/" Me and Henry always plastering boss
bills on his back and putting humble bees in his
bed, and so on, and sometimes we'd crowd in
and bunk with him, notwithstanding his growl-
in and then we'd let on to get mad and fight
across him, so as to keep him stirred up like.
We was nineteen, we was, and long and lank,
and bashful and he was sixteen and tolerably
lazy and worthless.
i" So that night, you know, that my sister
Mary gave the candy-pullin', we started off to
bed early, so the company would have full
swing and we rung in on Jim to have some fun.
"Our Wlnuer lOOkeu OUT OHto tHe rooi VI tho
ell and about 10 O'Clock couple of old tom
cats got to rarin' and chargin' around on it and
carryin' on like sin. There four inches of
snow on the roof, and it froze so that there was
quite smart crust of ice on it, and the moon
was shining bright, and we could see them cats
like daylight. First they'd stand off and esyow-
yow-yow, Just the same if they was cussin
one another, you know, and bow up their backs
and bush up their tails, and swell round and
spit, and then all of sudden the gray cat he'd
snatch a handful of fur off the yaller cats ham
and spin him around like the button on barn
door. But the yaller cat was game, and he'd
come and clnch and they'd gouge, and bite,
and growl 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
the roof. He hadn't reely no notion of doin' it
likely, but we everlastingly dogged him and bull
dragged him, and lowed he'd always Dragged
how he wouldn't take dare, and on, till
bimeby he histed the winder, and 10 behold
you, he went-went exactly as he was-nothin'
on but shirt, and it was short. You ought to
see him creepin' over that ice, and diggin' his
toe nails and finger nails in for to keep him from
slippin'; and 'bove all, you ought to see that
shirt fappin in the wind, and the long, ridik-
lous shanks of his n a glstenin' in the moon
light.
| "Them comp ny folks were down there under
the caves, the whole squad of 'em under that
ornery shed of dead Wash ton Bower vines-all
| settin' round about two dozen sassers of hot
candy, which they'd sot in the snow to cool.
And they were laughin' and talkin likely but
bless you, they didn't know nothin' bout the
panorama that was gon' over their heads.
Well, Jim he went a sneakin' up unbeknowns to
them tom cats-they swishin their tails,
and yow-yown' and threatenin to clinch you
know, and not payn' any attention-he went
sneakin' right up to the comb of the roof, till he
\ ~, rl4k ho1f f1f1 %
a sudden he made grasp for the yaler cat
But, by gosh he missed fire and slipped his
hold, and his heels few up, and he Topped on
his back, and shot off n that roof like dart
went a smashin' and crashin' down thro them
old rusty vines, and landed right in the dead
center of all them comp'ny people !-sot down
| like yearthquake in them two dozen
of red hot candy and let off a howl that was
bark from the tomb Them girls-well, they
| left, you know They see he warnt dressed FOR
comp ny, and so they left. All done in q second
it war just one little warwhoop and whish of
their dresses and blame the wench of 'em was
in sight anywhere
the blin' hot molasses candy clean down to his
heels and more bustid sassers hangin' to him
than if he was a mum princess, and he came
prancin up stairs just whoopn' and cussn',
and every jump he give he shed some china, and
every squirm he fetched he dripped some candy
And blistered Why, bless your SOUL that poor
cretur couldn't set down comfortable for as
much as four weeks p
| GREAT PLACE.-Virgina City is fast town in
the line of the nude drama. They have run
through Mazeppa," and innumerable forms of
the " Black Crook, and are now running an ex-
travaganza entitled " The Lady Godva." When
it is remembered that the original lady rode
through the sober town of Coventry with only
the covering that nature gave her, we cannot
help wondering how the imitation will appear
upon the boards of place like Virginia City
| Dramatic Chronicle.