Smyrna times., 1874-06-03
One Of Mark Twain's Yarns,

knew 0y the sympathetic glow upon his
bald head knew by the thoughtful look
upon his face knew by the emotional Aush
upon the strawberry on the end of the old
ee-liver's nose, that Simon Beans memory
was busy with the olden time. And SO pre-
pared to leave, because all these were symp-
toms OF reminiscence-signs that he was
going to be delivered of another of his tiresoms
personal experiences. But I was too slow.
de got the start of me. AS nearly as | can
recoIlect, the infection was couched in the fol-
lowing language:
We were all boys then, and didn't have
no troubles, and didn't worry about nothing,
only how to Shirk school and keep up revi-
vim state of dsvilmeut all the time. Thish
var Jim Wolf l was talking about was the
prentice; and he was the best hearted feller,
he was, and the most forgivin' and onselfsh |
ever seel Well there couldn't be a buIlier
boy than he was, take him how you would,
aud sorry enough was when see him for
the last time
Me aud Harry was always pestering him,
and plastering boss bills on his back, and put
ting bumble-bees in his bed, and SO on and
sometimes We d crowd in and bunk with him,
not thstanding his growing and then we'd
let on to get mad and fight acrost him, so as
to keep him stirred up like. He was nineteen,
he was and long aud lank and bashful, and
we was fifteen and sixteen, and toerably lazy
and worthless.
80 that night, you know, that my sister
Mary gave the candy. .pullin', they started US
OFT to bed early, SO as the comp ny could have
, full swing; and We run in on Jim to have
some fun.
"Our winder looked out On to the root of
: the Kitchen and about ten o'clock a couple of
/ old tom cats got to rarin and chargin' around
on it, and carryin on like sin, There was
n four inches OF snow on the roof, and it was
!, frozen so that there was right smart crust of
lIQnn and ho III - La
and we could see them cats like daylight
;. First, they d stand off and e-ow-yow.yow, Just
n as it they was a-cussn one another, you know
II and bow up their backs, and push up theK
q tails and swell around, and spit And then,
4 all of a sudden, the gray cat he'd snatch q
n handful of fur out of 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 cnch; and the way they'd geugue
= and bite and howl, and the way they'd make
If their fur fly, was powerful
- well, Jim he got disguised with the row,
al and lowed he d climb out there and shake 'em
n off that roof. He hadn't RELY no action of
doin 1t, likely; but We everastin'ly doZgea
him, and bully.ragged him, and lowed he ID
always Dragged how be wouldn't take dare,
to and so on, till bineby he histed up the winder,
and, 10 and behold he went-went exactly as
he was-nothin' on but shirt, and it was
short! But you ought to q seen him You
=. ought to seen him Ger ee-pin' over that ice,
NJ and diggin' his toe-nas and his finger nails in
ar ar for to keep from slippin and, 'bove all, you
er ought to see that shirt a-fappin' in the wind,
10 and them long, ridick lous shanks of his a
l.s tt a-glistenin' in the moon light
i" Them comp'ny folks was down there under
a. the eves-ths whole squad of 'em under that
1n ornsry shed Of old dead Washin't ton Bower
Ou vines-all settin' round about twodozen sas
IS SIS sers of hot candy, which they'd sot in the
nc ko nnol md thar lauohsnf and
T., talkin lively; but, bless you'll they didn'
'9l know nothin' bout the panorama that wat
t in goin' on over their heads. Welll Jim ht
" went a-sne akin up unbeknown to them to@
VI csts--they was a-swishin their tails aod VOW
yowin', and threatenin to clinch, you know
- and not payin' any attention-he went a-sne
"s akin right up the comb of the roof till he va
Gu, Gu, in foot. n a-half of em, and then all of
,nU p sudden he made grab for the yaIer cat
lo,I Thunder he missed fire and slipped his holt
vi and his heels few up, and he Topped on ri
'o's back, and shot off that roof like dart J.
went a.smashin' and a-erashin' down throug
nAn them old rusty vines, and landed right in th
la. dead centre of all of them comp ny people J.
Ass ass sot down like yearthquake in them two
nus dozen sassers of rsd-hot candy. and let of
M As howl that you might have heerd q mile Oh
'pss' Them girls-well, they left, you know The
-eu' see he wasn't dressed for comp ny; and 8
'ur . they lsft-all done in q second 1t was jul
Ie.S snS one little war.whoop and q whsh of the
Ieu dresses, and blame the wench OF EN- was /
sight snywheres
hen Jim he were O sightl He was gormed Wit
.no % that bilin' hot molssses- candy clean down
,au his heels and had more busted sasssrs hsngiI
ouu to him than If he was an lnjun princess-an
IT. he came O. prancn upstairs, Just a.whooplI
ne and s.cussin, and every jump he made d
u. shed some china, and every squirm he fetchs
,,T ,ng. he dripped some candy.