The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1867-11-27
JIM WOLF AND THE cars

~sNN ~r~S<S ><SPS 49, VIZ
Here is. one of Mark Twain's good
stories. He knows how to make the
reader laugh, and if the following
does not provoke smile, it is be-
cause; there is no mirth in mankind:
knew by the sympathetic glow
upon Ills bald head-I knew by the
thoughtful look upon his facet knew
by the emotional flush upon the
strawberry on the end of the old free
liverls nose-that Simon Wheeler's
memory was. busy with the olden
time. And so L prepared to leave,
because all these were symptoms of q
reminiscencezYsigns that he was
going to be delivered of another of
his tiresome personal experiences
but 1 was too slow; he got the start
of me. AS nearly as I can recollect,
the inhiction was couchei in the fol-
lowing language: s
eve were all boysthen, and didn't
care for nothing, and didn't have no
troubles, and didn't worry about
nothing, only, how to shirk school
and keep up revivin' state of devil
ment all the time. This var Jim
Wolf I was talking about was the
.prentice, and he was the best heart
ed feller, he was, and the most for
givin' and onselfish ever see-well,
there couldn't be q more bullier boy
than he was, take him how you
would; and sorry enough I was when
1 see him for the last time.
tfMe and Henry was always pester-
ing him, and plastering hoss 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 growing; and
then we'd let on to get mad and fight
acrost him, 80 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 tole-
rahly lazy and worthless.
$50, that night, you know, that
my sister Mary give the candy pull
in, they started us off to bed early,
so as the company could have full
swing, and we rung in on Jim to
have some fun.
"Our window looked out onto the
roofsof the ell, and about 10 o'clock
n couple of old tom cots got to rarin'
and chargin' around on it and carry
in 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 shining 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 q
cussin' one another, you know, and
bow up their backs and push ND their
tails, and swell around and spit. and
then all of sudden the gray cat
he'd'snatch handful of fur out of
the yaller cats ham, and spin her
around like % button on barn door.
But the yaller cat was game, and
he'd come and clinch, and the wov
they'd gouge, and bite and howl.
and the way they'd make the fur fiy
was powerful.
"Well, Jim, he got disgusted with
the row, and lowed he'd climb out
there and shake him off'n the roof.
He hadn't reely no notion doin' it,
likely, but we everlastinIy dogged
him, and bullyragged him, and
lowed how he'd always Dragged how
he wouldn't take dare, and SO on,
till bimeby he. highsted up the win.
der, and 10 and behold you, he went
went exactly as he was-nothin' on
but shirt, and it was short. But
you ought to see him! You ought to
see him creepin' over that ice, and
diggin' his toe-nails and finger-nails
in for to keep from slippin'; and.
'bove all you ought to seen that
shirt fappin' in the wind, and them
long ridiculous shanks of his'n a
glistenin' in the moonlight.
'Them comp'ny folks was down
there under the caves, the whole
squad of 'em under that onery shed
of old dead Washin'ton Bower vines,
all settin' round about the dozen sas-
'sers of hot candy, which they sot in
ccho snow TO cool. And they was
laughin' and talkin' lively; but they
didn't know nothing bout the pano-
rama that was goin' on over their
heads. Well, Jim he went sneakin'
and q sneakin' up unbeknowns to
them tom cats-they was q swishin'
their tails, yow-yowin' and threaten
in to clinch, you know, and not pay
In any attention-he was sneakin'
right up to the comb of the roof, till
he was in a foot and half of 'em,
and then all of sudden he made o