Year: 1867




upon his bald head knew by the
thoughtful look upon his face
knew by the emotional flush upon
the strawberry on the end of the old
free liver's nose, that Simon Wheel
er's memory was busy with olden
time. And SO prepared to leave,
because all these were symptoms OF
a reminisepce-signs that he was go
ing to be delivered of another of his
tiresome personal experiences; but
was too slow; he got the start of me.
As nearly as 1 can recollect the in
fiction was couched i'm 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 that l was talking about,
was the prentice and he was the
best hearted fellow, he was, and the
most forgivin' and onselfish / ever
see, well, there couldn't be a more
bullier boy than he was, take him
low you would, and sorry enough l
was when / saw him for the last
time.


Me and Henry was always poster
ing him and plastering hoss bills on
his back and putting humble bees in
his bed, and so on, and sometimes
we wo'd crowd in and bunk with
him, Notwithstanding his growing,
and then we'd let on to get mad and
fight across him, so as to keep him
stirred up like. He was nineteen, he
was, and long, and lank, and bashful,
and we was fifteen or sixteen, and
tolerable lazy and worthless.


SO, that night you know that my
sister Mary gave the candy pullin',
they started us off to bed early, so
that the company could have full
swing, and We rung in on Jim to
have some fun.


Our winder looked out onto the
roof of the ell, and about ten O'Clock
a couple of old tom cats got rarin'
and chargin' round on it and carryin'
OH like sin.


There was four inches of snow on
the roof, and it was froze so that
there was right smart snow crust
of ice on it, and the moon was shin.
in bright, and we could see them cats
like daylight. First they'd stand off,
and e-yowyow-yow just the same as
if they were cussin' one another, you
know, and bow up their backs and
bush up their tails, and swell around
md spit, and then all of sud,len the
gray cat he'd snatch a handful of fur
off the yaller cats ham, and spin
around like a button on a barn door.
But the yaller cat was game, and he'd
come and clinch, and the way they'd
youge and bite, and howl, and the
way they'd make the fur fly was pow
,rful.


Well, Jim, ne got disgusted with
lie row and lowed he'd climb out
here and shake 'em of~n that roof.
He had not really 10 notion of doin'
t, likely, but we everlastingly dog
yed him and bully-ragged how he
take ARE, and so on, till
he I'd the winder, and
1eheld, he w.lt; went exactly as he
vas, nothir' on but a shirt, and it
vas short You ought to have seen
him creeping over the ice, and dig
ying his toe nails and finger nails in
or to keep him from slipping; and
above all, you ought to seen that
shirt fiappin' in the wind, and them
ong, reGicklous shanks Of his'n a
ylistenin' in the moonlight.


The comp'ny folks was down
here under the caves, the whole
squat of 'em under that onery she'd
Of Wash'ton Bower vines; all settin'
round about two dozen saucers of
lot candy which they'd got into the
snow to cool. And they was laugh
n and talkin' lively; but bless you,
hey didn't know nothing bout the
panorama that was going on over
heir head. Well, Jim he went
;neakin' and sneakin' right up to the
comb of roof, till he was in a foot
md half of 'em, and then all of q
sudden he made a grab for the yaller
,at. But, by gosh, he missed fire
md slipped his holt, and his heels
few up and lie tapped on his back,
md shot off'n that rooflike a dart!
Went smashin' and a crushin' down
.hro' them old rusty vines and land
ed right in the dead center of them
company people, sot down like an
in them two dozen sassers
Of red hot candy, and let off a howl
that was bark from the tombs.
Them girls-well, they left, you
know. They see he want dressed
Tor comp'ny and so they left. All
was done in a second; it was jest one
little war hoop and a whisk of their
dresses, and blame the wench of 'em
was in sight anywhere!


Jim he was a sight. He was
gormed with the bilin' hot molasscs
candy clean down to his heels, ard
had more busted sassers hanging to
him than if he was an Injm prince;
and ne came prancin' up stairs just
a whoopin' and cussin', and every
Jump he shed some china, and every
squirm he fetched he dripped some
candy.


And blistered, Why bless your
soul, that poor creature couldn't reely
set down comfortable for as much as