Manuel Pereira; Or, The Sovereign Rule of South CarolinaAdams, F. Colburn (Francis Colburn)
General
Manuel Pereira; Or, The Sovereign Rule of South Carolina
Adams, F. Colburn (Francis Colburn)
African Americans -- Fiction; Biographical fiction; Pereira, Manuel -- Fiction; South Carolina -- Fiction
“Oh! bless me, yes! It was once the mansion of the So-and-sos, one of
the first families, but they're very poor now. Mr. What-you-may-call-em
owns it now-they say he didn't get it honestly. He kept a little
grog-shop on the Bay, or sold bacon and whisky on the Bay, and made
awful charges against poor So-and-so, and after a long trial in Chancery
he got his house. He's a big fellow; now, I tell you, and is going to
fit the house up for himself!”
Dunn told Manuel to be seated, that there was no occasion for hurrying;
it would be all right if he got to the sheriffs office at nine o'clock;
and then commenced descanting upon the fine time he would have at the
jail. “There's a right good lot of comrades there, me boy; ye'll have
fiddling and dancing, plenty of gals, and a jolly time; and ye a'n't a
criminal, ye know, so it won't be any thing at all, only keep up a stiff
under-lip. Come, let us take another drink; I feel mighty husky this
morning!” said he.
Just at this time Dusenberry re-entered, puffing and blowing as if he
had been engaged in a foot-race. “Another bird for old Grimshaw, at
Commercial Wharf! I know'd she had one aboard, 'cause I seed him from
the wharf,” said he, in perfect ecstasy, pulling out a pencil and making
a note in a little book.
“Don't be a child,” said Dunn. “Come, we have just proposed another
drink; you join of course; ye niver says no,--eh, Duse?” They stepped to
the counter, and Dunn, again, pointing his finger upon his nose at the
Dutchman, who stood with his hands spread upon the counter, called for
gin and bitters, Stoughton light. Turning to Manuel, who was sitting
upon a bench with his head reclined upon his hand, apparently in deep
meditation, he took him by the collar in a rude manner, and dragging him
to the counter, said, “Come, by the pipers, rouse up your spirits, and
don't be sulking, my old Portugee; take another O-be-joyful, and it'll
put ye all right, and ye'll dance a hornpipe like a jim-crack.”
“Excuse me, sir; I think I have taken enough; do, please, either take me
back to my vessel, or where you are going to. This is no place for me!”
said Manuel.
“Sure, what signifies; don't be talking your botheration here; a nigger
musn't sauce a white man. Come, there's no use backing out; you must
take a glass of Swizer's lager beer,” said Dunn.
Manuel looked around him, and then closing up very reluctantly, the
Dutchman filled his glass with frothy beer, and the three touched
glasses and drank. They then retired to a bench and commenced discussing
the propriety of some point of their official privileges, while Manuel
was left standing at the counter.
“Who pay de drink vat shu get?” inquired the Dutchman, anxious to serve
two little niggers who had just come in with bottles in their hands.
“It was our friend's treat; come, my good fellow, do the clean thing
according to Southern science. We'll put a good word in for you to the
jailer; you won't lose nothing by it,” said Dusenberry.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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