, 1869-04-23
jim WOLFE AND THE TOM CATS.

aAH WOLfE AND THE TON CATS.
Mark Twin relates the following: al
knew by the sympathetic glow on bis bald
head-I knew by the thoughtful look on
his faee-l knew by the emotional flush ops
on the strawberry on the end of the old free
lovers nose. that Simon Wheeler's memory
was busy with the olden tune. And SO
prepared to leave, because all these were
synptous Of q reminiscence- was too
slow; he got the start of me. As nearly as
| can reeolect, the inAiction was couched in
the following language:
=" We was all boys then, and didn't care
for nsthiRg, only how to shirk school and
keeE yR . reEiVin' state Of devilmeut all the
1 time. This yaF Jim Wolfe vas talking
about was the prentice, aud was the best
hearted fellow, he was, and the most forgis-
in aud onsel6sh ever see-well, there
couldn't be more bullier boy than he was,
take hin anyhow you would, and sorry
enough was when l seed him for the last
time.
Me ald Henry was always plastering boss
bills on Wis back and putting humble bees
in his bed, and SC on. and sometimes we'd
crowd in aud bunk with him, notwithstsnd,
ing his grtwling, and then we let on to git
mad aud 6sht acrost him, so as to keep him
stirred up Ike. We was nineteen, We was,
and long, aad lank and bashful, and he was
sixteen and tolcrably lazy and worthless.
So that night, you know, that my sister
Mary gave the candy-pullin', they started
off to bed eady, so as the company could
have full swing, aud We wrung in on him to
have some fun.
Our winder ooked out OF to the roof of
the ell, and abolt ten clock a couple of old
tom cats got to ravin' and chargin' around
on it aud caIryin' on like sin. There was
four inches of snow on the roof, and it froze
so that there was right smart crust OF ice
on it, aud the moon was shining bright, and
we could see them cats like daylight. First
they'd stand off and eyow VOW, VOW, just the
same as if they was cussin one another, you
know, and bow up their backs aud bush up
their tails, and swell round aud spit and
then all of sudden the gray cat he'd suatch
handful of fur Out of the yaller cats ham
and spin him round like button on barn
dor. But the yale: cat was game. aud he'd
come and clinch, aud they'd gouge, aud bite
aud grOwl, and the way they'd make the fur
fly was powerful.
Well, Jim he got disgusted with the row
aud lowed he'd climb out there aud shake
'em of the roof. lie ehadn' RELY no notion
of dOin' it likely, but we everlastingly dog
gsd him AID builyragged him and -'lewsA
he'd always Dragged how he wouldn't take
dare, and so on, till bemeby 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 seed him creep
in over that ice, and diggin his toe nails
aud his finger nails in for to keep him frSR
slippiu' and above all, you ought to seen
that shirt Aappin' in the wind, aud Ihelong,
ridklous shanks of his'n glistenin' in the
moonlight.
Them comply folks was down there un-
der the caves, the whole squad of 'em under
that onery shed of dead Washington 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' about the panorama that was
goin' on over their heads. Well, jim be
went a sneakin' up onbekuowns to the tom
cats-thev was a swishin their tails, and vow
yowin' and threatenin' to clinch, you know,
and not payin' any attention-he went
sneakin' aud sneakin', right up to the com
of the roof, till he was within foot and a
half Of them, and all of sudden he made
grab for the yaller cat! But, by gosh
he. missed FIRE and slipped his holt, aud his
heels few up, and he Topped on his back and
shot off n that roof like dartl went smash
in and crashin' down through them old rus
ty vines, and landed right in the dead Gen.
ter of all them comp'ny people !-sOt down
like earthquake in them two dozen sassers
of red hot candy, and let of howl that was
bark from the tomb Them girls well,
they left. They see he Warn't drtsed for
comp'ny, and 80 they left. All done in
second it war just one little war whoop and
and whish of their dresses, and blame the
wench of 'em was in sight anywhere! !
Jim, he was in sight He was gormed with
the bilin' hot molasses candy clean down to
his heels, and had more bustid sassingers
haugin' to him than if be was Ipjun print
cess, and GENE prancin' up stairs just
whoopin' and cusssin' and every jump he
gave he shed some china, and every squirm
be fetched he dripped some candy And
blstered Why, bless your soul, that poor
ereetur couldn't really set down comfortable
for as much as four weeks.
-Os-
EIpsT Iovr The celehrated David