The New Orleans crescent. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1866-1869, 1868-01-23
jim wo,r and the Tom Cats.

! knew by the SYMPATHETIC glow upon his bald
head knew by the thoughtful look upon his
face-l knew by the emotional flush upon the
strawberry on the end Of the old free iver's nose,
that Simon Wheelers memory was busy with
| olden time. And so prepared to leave, because
| all these were symptoms of "reminiscences signs
| that he was going TO be delivered of another OF
| his tiresome personal experiences but was too
slow: be got the start of me. As nearly as | can
recollect the infection was couched in the follow
| ing language:
| We was all boys then, and didn't care for
| nothing only how to shirk school and keep up
revvin' state of devilment all the time This yah
Jim Wolf that was talking about, was the prem
tice, and he was the best hearted fellow, he was,
| and the most forgivn and onselfsh ever see
well, there couldn't be a more butler boy than he
| was take him how you would and sorry enough
| was when saw him for the last time.
Me and Henry was always Fostering him and
pasteIing boss bills his back, and putting bum
| Bile bees in his bed, and so on, and sometimes we
wo'd crowd in and bunk with him, nowithstand.
ing his growing, and then we'd let on to get mad
and fight across him. so as TO keep him stirred no
like. He was nineteen, he was aud long and Iank
and bashfu, and we was fifteen or sixteen, and
tOlerable lazy and worthless.
So, that night you know that my sister Mary
gave the candy puln They started US OF to bed
early, so that the company could have full swing.
and rung in on Jim TO have some fun.
Our winder looked out on the roof of the ell,
and about ten O'Clock couple of tom cats got a
rarln' aad chargin' round on it and carryin' on
like sin.
There was four inches of snow on the roof, and
twas froze so that there was a right smart crust
of Ice on it, and the moon was shinn bright, and
we could see them cats like daylight. First they
stand of, and e-yowyow VOW just the same as if
they were cussin' one another you know and
bow up their backs and bush up their tails, and
swell around and spit, and then all or a sudden the
gray cat he d snatch handful of fur off the yaller
cats ham, and spin around like button on barn
door. But the yaller cat was game and he'd come
ard howl, and the way they'd make the fur fly
ives powerful.
Well, Jim, be got Disguised with the row, and
lowed he'd climb out there and shake 'em of'n
that roof. He had really no notion of dom it,
likely, but we everlasiingly logged him and bully
ragged how he wouldn't take dare, aud so on,
till, bimeby he histed the winder, and low and
behold, he went; went exactly as he was, nothin
on but shirt, and it was short. You ought to
have seen him creeping over the ice, and digging
his toenails and fnger-nails in for to keep him
from slipping; and above all, you ought to seen
that shirt fappin' in the wind, and them long,
redicklous shanks OF his'n glistenn in the moon
light.
Them comp'ny folks was down there under the
caves the whole squad of 'em under that ornery
shed Of Wash'ton Bower vines all settin' round
abouttwo dozen saucers of hot candy which they'd
got into the snow TO cool. And they was laughin
and talkin' lively; but bless you, they didn't know
nothing bout the panarOma that was going on
over their heads. Well, jim he went a sneakin'
oDh llBHt up 10 luc COHU Vi the TOOI, I'LL
he was in foot and half of 'em, and then all of
sudden he made a grab for the ysler cat
But, by gosh, he missed fire and slipped his holt
and bis heels few up and he tapped on HIS back,
and shot offn that roof like a dart Went a
snashin' and a crushin' down thro' them old rusty
vines and landed right in the dead center of
them company people, sOt down like earthquake
10 them two dozen sassers of red hot candy, and
let of howl that was bark from the tombs.
Them girls-well, they left, you know. They see
be want dressed for comply and SO they left.
All was done in second; it was jest one little
war whoop and a whisk of their dresses, aud
blame the wench Of 'em was in sight anywhere
jim be was sight. He was gormed with the
biliD' hot mOlasses candy clean dowa TO his heels,
and more busted sassers hanging to him than if
he was an lDjun prince and he came prancing
up stairs just whoopin' and cussia' and every
jump be shed some China, and every squrm he
fetched he dipped some candy.
And blistered Why bless your soul. that poor
creature couldn't RELY set down comfortable for
as much as four weeks.