Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1876-04-29
SHEPERDSTOWN JEFFERSON COUNTY WEST VIRGINIA. SATURDAY, APRIL
Jim WoIfand the Tom Cats.

l knew by the sympathetic glow up
on 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 livers nose,
that Simon Wheeler's memory was
busy with the Olden time. And so l
prepared to Leave, because all these were
symptoms of reminiscence-signs that
be was going to be delivered OF anoth-
er of his tiresome personal experiences,
but was too slow; he got the start on
me- AS nearly as | can recollect, the
infiictiun was couched in the following
language:
1--WE was all boys, then, and didn't
care for nothing only how to shirk
school and keep up revivin' state OF
devilment all the time. This yah Jim
Wolf was talking about was the
prentice, and he was the best hearted
teller, he was, and the most forgiyin
and unselhsh | ever see-well, there
couldn't be more bullier boy than
what he was, take him how you would;
and sorry enough | was when | see him
for the last time.
"Ale and Henry was always pestering
him and plastering hoss bills on his
back, and putting humble e-bees in his
bed, and so on, and sometimes we'd
crowd in and bunk with him, notwith-
standing bis 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, and
lank, and 5ashful, aud we was fifteen
and sixteen, tolerably lazy and worth
! less
$50 that night, you know, that my
sister Mary gave the candy pullin, they
started us off to bed early, so as the
comp'ny could have full swing, and
we rung in on Jim to have some tun.
sour winder looked out on the rool
OF the ell, and about 10 o'clock cou-
pie Of old tom cats got To rairin and
chargin around on 1t and carryin on
like SIN. There was four inches of snow
Oh the roof, and it was troze so there
was right smart crust OF ice Oh it, and
the moon was shining bright, and we
could see the cats like daylight. First,
they'd stand off, aud e-yow-yow-yow,
just the same as if they was a cussing
one another, you know, and bow up
their backs and push up their tails, and
swell around and spit, and then all OF 4
sudden the gray cat he'd Snatch a hand
full of fur Oft the yaller cats ham, and
spin him around, like the button on a
barn door. But the yaller Cat was
game, and he'd come and clinch, and
the way they'd gouge, aud bite aud
howl and the way they'd make the fur
fly was powerful.
"WelI, Jim he got disgusted with the
row and lowed he'd climb out there,
and shake EN- otf'n that roof. He
hadn't reely no notion Of doin it, like
ly, but we everlastingly dogged him
and bullyragged him, and lowed he'd
always Dragged how he wouldn't take
a dare aud SO on, till bineby he histed
the winder, and behold you, he went
went exactly as he was-nothin on but
a shirt, and it was short. You ought
to seen him! You ought to seen him
creepin' over that ice, aud diggin' his
toe nails and his finger-nals i'll for to
keep him from slippin'; and 'bove all,
YOU ought to seen that shirt a fappin
in the wind, and them long ridiculous
shanks OF his'n a-glistenin in the moon
light.
Them comp'ny folks was down there
under the caves, the whole squad of
EN- under that orney she'd OF dead
Wash ton Bower yines-all settin round
about two dozen sassers of hot candy,
which they'd sot in the snow to cool.
And they were laughin aud talkin live
ly; but bless you, they didn't know
nothin bout the panorama that was
goin' on over their head. Well, Jim,
he went a sneakin and a sneakin up
unbeknowns to them tom cats-they
was swishiDg their tails and VOW
yowin' aud threatenin TO cliuch, you
know, and not paying any attention
he went a sneakin and a sneakin right
up to the comb of the roof, till he was
in foot and half of en-, and then all
of sudden he made grab for the yal-
Ter cat But, by gosh, he missed fire
aud slipped his holt, and his heels flew
up and he hoped on his back and shot
off Il that rooflike dart. went smash
in and crashin' down tbro' them old
rusty vines and landed right in the
dead centre of all them compny people,
sot down like a ycarthquake in them
two dozen sassers of redhot candy, and
let off howl that was bark from the
tomb! Them girls-well, they left,
you know. They see be warn't dressed
for compny, and SO they left. All done
in a second; it was just one little war
whoop, and a whish of their dresses,
and blame the wench OF 'em was in
sight anywhere
slim, he was a sight. He was gorm-
ed with the biln' hot molasses candy
clean down TO his heels, and had more
busted sassers hangin to him than if he
was Injuu princess-and he came a
prancin' up stairs just whoopin' and
oussin, and every jump he give he shed
some china, and every squirm ne fetch
ed be dripped some candy
"And blistered Why, bless your
soul, that poor cretur couldn't RELY sit
down comfortable for as much as four
weeks" ...s e-a -t -,.