Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1876-02-26
FS1 on ARESTOWN JEFFERSON COUNTY, w VA SATURDAY, FE
JIM WOLF AND THE TOM CATS.

bald head knew By the thoughtful look
upon his face--I knew by the emotional Hush
upon the strawberry on the end OF the old Tree
liyer's nose. that Simon Wheeler's memory
was busy with the olden time And SO
prepared to leave, because all these were
symptoms of reminiscence-signs that he
was going TO be delivered Of another of his
tiresome personal experiencos-but was too
slow lie 60; the star. on me. As nearly as
can recolect, the inliction was couched IN
the following language:
We was all boys, then, and didn't care Tor
nothing only how to shire school and keep up
revivin' state of devilment all the time
This yah jim Wolf was talking about, was
the prentice, and be was the best hearted iel-
Ter, be was, and the most forgivin' and unseui-
ish I ever see-well, there couldn't be more
bulier boy than what lie was, take him how
you would and sorry enough | was when
see him for the last time.
" Ne and Henry was always pesterins him
and plas,ering loss bills on uis back, and,
putting bumble-bees iu his bed, and so on,
and sometimes we'd crowd in and bunk with
him, notwithstanding bis growing, and then
we'd let on to get mad aud fight acrost him,
50 as to keep him stirred up like. lie was
nirc;ccu, lie was, and long, and lank, and
bashful. and We was fifteen and sixteen, tOler-
ably lazy aud worthless.
SO that night, you know, that my sister
Mary gave the candy pullin', they started us
on' to bed early, so as the compny could have
full swing, and we rung 10 on Jim TO bave
some fan.
"Our wiuder looked out on the roof Of the
ell, and about 10 o'clock couple Of old tom
cats got to rarin' and chargn' around on 1t
and carryin on like sin. There was four
inches Of snow on the roof, ard it was froze
so that there was u right smart crust OF ice on
it. and the moot was shining bright, and We
could see them cats like daylight. First,
they'd stand of, and e-yow-yow-yow, just the
same as If they was cussins one another,
YOU know, aud bow up their backs aud push
up their tails, and swell abound and spit, aud
then all of a sudden The gray cat he'd snatch a
handful Of fur off the yaller cats ham. and spin
| him around, like the button on ban door.
/ But the yaI!er cat was game. aud he'd come
aud clinch, and the way they'd gouge, aud
bite and howl, and the way they make the
! fur fly was powerful.
Wei, jim he got disgusted with tho row
and lowed he'd climb out there, and shake
'em off'n that roof. He hadn't RELY DO notion
Of doiu' it, likely, but we everlastinsly
doege1 him and bullyragged him, aud lowed
he'd always Dragged how he wouldn I take a
dare aud so on. till bimeby he hist d the wiuder
and behold YOU he went-went exactly as be
was-nothn on but a shirt, aud it was short.
You ought to a seen him You ought to seen
him creepin over that ice, and diggin' his toe
nails and his finger nails in for to keep hin
from slippin'; and 'bove all. you ought TO seen
that shirt fappin' in the wind, aud them
long ridiculous sbanks Of his'n a.glis,enin' in
the moon light.
"Them comp'ny folks was down there IN
der the caves, the whole squad Of EN- under
that orney shed of deal Wash ton Bower
yines-all settn' round atolt two dozen sas-
sers Of ho. candy, which they'd sot in tue
snow to cool And they were laughin' and
talkiu' lively; but bless you, they didn't know
notLin' bout the panorama that was goln' on
over their heads Well, jim, he went n
sneakin' aud a sneakin up unbeknowDs
them tom cats-they was swishng their tails
and ow-yowin' aud threatenin 10 clinch, you
know, and not paying any ai,enilon-he went
a sneakn' aud sneakiD right up 10 the comb
/ of the roof, till be was In a foot aud
q half of EN-, aud then all Of sud 'ea be
made grab for the yaller cat But, by
,sh, he missed fire and slipped bis holt,
aud lis heels flew up and he tioppei on his
/ back aud shot ofi'n that roof like dart
went smaslin aud crashiD down thTO' them
! old rusty vines and landed right in the dead
centre Of all them comp'ny people sot down
/ like yearihquake in them two dozen sassers
Of red-bot candy, and le, of howl that was
bark from the tomb Them girlS-well, they
/ left, you know. They see be waTn't dressed
for comp my, and so they left. All done 10 a
second it was just one little war-whoop, and
a whish OF their dresses, and blame the
wench Of EN- was 10 sight anywherel
Jim, be was a sight. He was gormed
with tbs bilin hot malasses candy clean down
/ to his heels, aud had more busted sassers
| hansin to him thar if he was InJun princess
and he came ptaucin' up stairs just o
whoopin and cussin, and every jump he
{ give he shed some china, md every squirm lie
fetched be dripped some candy
6nd blistered Why, bless your soul,
that poor cretur couldn't RELY sit down CON-
Portable for as much as four weeks. ."-AarI
( Ttcdin.
We had always supposed that behind she