The herald and mail. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1873-188?, 1875-11-05
jim WOLF.
How he Failed to Grab the Tom Cats. but
Spoiled a Candy Pull.

[ knew by the sympathetic glow
upon his bald head knew by the
thoughtful look upon his face-I knew
by the emotional flush upon the straw
berry on the end of the old free livers
nose, that Simon Wheeler's memory
was busy with the 0lden times. And
so l prepared to leave, because all
these were "reminiscences | was
too slow; he got the start of me. As
nearly as can recollect; tie infiction
was couched in the following language:
eve were all boys then and didn't
care for nothing, and didn't have no
trouble, and didn't worry about moth
ing only 10 shirk school and keep up
reviyin' state Of deviment all the
time. This yah Jim Wolf | was talk
ing bout was the prentice, and he was
the best hearted feller, he was, and
the most forgivin' an onselfsh | ever
see-well, there couldn't be a more
bulIier 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 pestering
him and plastering horse bills on his
back and putting humble bees in his
bed, and so on, and sometimes we'd
crowd in bunk with him not'thstand-
ing his growing, and then we'd let on
to get mad and fight across him, 50 Us
to keep him stirred up like. He was
nineteen, he was, and long, and lank,
and bashful and we was fifteen and
sixteen, and tolcrably lazy and warth-
less
SO, that night you know, that my
sister Mary gave a candy-pullin', they
started us on to bed early, 50 as the
company could have full swing, and we
run in on Jim to hare some fun:
Our winder looked out onto the roof
of the ell, and about 10 o'clock a pair
of old tom cats got to rarin' and charg-
in around it and carrying on like sin.
There was four inches Of snow on the
roof, and it was frozen so that there
was q 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 VOW
y0wj just the same as if they was Gus
sin one another, you know, and bow
up their backs and push up their tails
and swell around and spit, and then all
of a sudden the grey cat he'd snatch a
handful of fur out Of tie yaller cats
ham, and spin him around like but
ton an a barn door. But the yaller cat
was game, and he'd come and clinch,
and the way they'd gouge, and bite and
howl, and the way they'd make the fur
fly, was powerful.
Well, Jim, he got disguised with the
row, and lowed he'd climb out there
and shake him of'n that roof. He
hadn't reely no notion Of doin' it, likely
but we everlastinly dogged him, and
bulIy-ragged him, and lowed he'd al
ways Dragged how he wouldn't take a
dare, and so on, till bimeby he highsted
up the winder, and 10, aud behold you,
he went-went exactly as he was,
nothing ON but a shirt, and twas short.
but you ought to see him. You ought
to see him cre-e-pin' over that ice, and
diggin' his toe=nails and finger-nails in
to keep from slippin'; and 'bove ALL
you ought to seen that shirt-tail flappm'
in the wind, and them long, ridicku-
Ious shanks Of his glistenin' in the
moonlight.
Them company folks was down there !
under them caves, and the whole squad
of 'em under that ornery shed Of old |
Wasbin'ton Bower vines-all sett'm
round about two dozen sassers of hot |
candy, which they'd sot in the snow to
cool. And they was talkin' and laugh |
IN lively; but bless you, they didn't |
know nothing bout the panorama that
was gdin' on over their heads. Well
Jim, he went a-snea-kin up, unbe-
knOwns to them tom cats-they was Il
switchin' their tails and yow-yowin' and |
threatenin' to clinch, you know, and |
not pawn any attention-he went a.
snea-kin' right up to the comb Of the |
roof, till he was in Il foot'n half Of 'em,
and then all OF sudden he made grab |
for the WALLER cat! But by gosh he
missed fire and slipped his holt and his |
heels flew up and he fopped on his
back, and shot off'n that roof like a
dart.-went p slashin' and a crashin'
down thro' them old rusty vines, and !
landed right in the centre Of them
comp'ny people!-sot down like a
yearthquake in them two dozen sassers
of red-hot candy, and let off a howl |
that was hark I'm the tombl Them
gals-well, they looked, you know.
They see he wasn't dressed forcomp'ny, |
and so they left. All done inasecond,
it was Just one little war-whOop and a
whish. of their dresses, and blame the
wench of 'em was in sight anywhere!
Jim he was a sight. Hewas gormed |
with that bilIin' hot molasses candy |
clean down to his heels, and had more |
busted sassers hangin' to him than if he |
was an Injun princess-and he come a
prancin' up stairs just a-whoopin' and
cussin,' and every jump he gave he
shed some china and every squirm he
fetched he dropped some candy!
And blistered! Why bless your
soul, that poor cretur couldn't reely set
down comfortable for as much as four
WapkS "