Smyrna times., 1870-03-30
WHOLE NO. 788
Jim Wolfe and the Tom Cats.


l knew by the sympathetic glow upon his
bald head-I knew by the thoughtful look
upon his face-I knew by the emotional flush
upon the strawberry on the end OF the old free
liver nose, that Simon Nheecrs memory
was busy with the olden time. And so | pre-
pared to leave, because all these were symp-
toms Of a remniscence-signs that he was GO
ing to he delivered of another Of his tireSOme
personal eXperiences- but | was too slow; he
got the start OF me. As nearly as | can recol.
lecr :he infictlon was couched in the following
language:
I'VE was all boys, then, and didn't care for
nothing only how To Shirk school and keep up
a rcvivln state OF devilmcnt all the time. This
yah Jim VI ollie | was talking about was the
prentice, and he was the best hearted ieller,
he was, and the most tUrgivn and Onseliish |
ever see-wrll there couldn be more buler
boy than what he was, take him how you
would and sorry enough was when see him
for the last time.
" Me and Henry was always FOSTERING him
and plasteIing hoso bills on his back and put
ting humble bees in his bed, and SO on and
sometimes we d crowd in and bunk with him
not standing his growing, aud then we d let on
to get mad and fight acrost him. SO as to keep
him stirred up like. lie was nineteen, he was,
and long and lank, and bashul, and we was
fifteen and sixteen, aud tUlerably lazy and
worthless.
So, that night, you know, that my sister
/ Mary gave the candy pulin, they started us
! off to bed early, 50 has the company could have
tuIl swing, an We rung i'll On Jim to have some
| fun.
"Our winder looked out onto the roof on
the 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 was four
inches Of snow on the roof, and it froze so that
there was right smart CT uSt of ice on 1t, and
the moon was shining 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 cusSlu one another, you know, and bow up
their backs and bush up their tails and swell
around and spit, and then all Of a sudden the
gray cat he'd snatch handful Of fur off the
yaler cat 5 ham, and spin him around, ike the
button Oh 4 barn door. But the yaller cat was
game, and he i come and clintch, and the way
they d gOuge, and bite, and howl, aud the way
, they 4 make the fur fly was powerful.
| w ell, Jim he got di>gusted with the row,
t and lowed he d climb out there, and shake
; EN- off that roof. He hadn't reely no notion
of doin' it, likely, but We everlastingy logged
him and bully ragged him, and lowed he'd
t always Dragged how he WOuldn' t take a dare,
and SO on, till bimc-by he histed the wiuder,
and 10 and behold you ! he weut--went exactly
: as he was--uothin on but his shirt and it
f was short. You ought to a seen him creepin'
over that ice, and diggin' his tOe-nais and fin
j. gernas in for to keep him from slippin' ; and,
bOyc all, you ought to have seen that shirt a
tapplu in the wind, and them long rdick uous
r shanks Of his gli>tenin' in the moonlight.
!, Them comp'ny folks was down there un-
n der the caves, the whole squad Of 'em under
). that ornery shed Of dead Wash ton Bower
: viucS-all sctt round about two dozen sas-
/ Sers Of hot candy, which they'd sot in the snow
to cool. And they was laughin' and talkin'
V lively; but bless YOU, they dldn know nothln'
S bout the ponorama that was gOin' on over
|. their heads. Well, jim, he went a sneakin
d and sncakln' up, unbeknown to them tom
cats-they was swishin their tails, and VOW
/ yOwin and threatenin' to ciintch, you know
/ and not payln any attentIon-he went sneak
e III and a sneakn right up to the comb Of the
n roof till he was in foot and half of EN-, anG
then all of sudden he made grab for the
a yaller cat But by gosh, he missed fire, anC
e slipped his holt, and his heels flew up, and he
,r Hoped on his back, aud off n that roof like
:. dart went a smashin' and crashin' dowI
Ie thro them old vines, and landed right in the
re dead centre Of all them comp ny people so
TO down like ycarthQuake i'll them two dOzeI
r. saSscrS Of red hot candy, and let off howl tha
was bark from the tomb Them girs-well
they left, you know. They see he warn't dress
r. ed for comp ny, and SO they left. All done il
of a second it was just one little war-hoop and
n wish of their dresses and blame the wench o
m EN- in sight anywhere
es Jim, he wasa sight. tie was gormed will
sl- the bllin' hot molasSes candy clean down t
ne his heels, and had more busted sassers hang
0, in to him than if he was Injun princess
O. and he came prancn' up stairs just a whoop
be in and cu>sln, and every jump he give b
as shed some china, and every squirm he ietche
he he drpped snue candy
in And bliStcred! Why bless your soul tha
poor cretur couldn't reelv set down cOmfOrtabl
a for as much as four weeks. ''--NdrL Team