The Adventures of My Cousin SmoothTempleton, Timothy
General
The Adventures of My Cousin Smooth
Templeton, Timothy
Pierce, Franklin, 1804-1869 -- Humor; United States -- Politics and government -- 1853-1857
"I inquired of the General where he kept so dangerous an animal, and
was told in the most complacent manner that he ran all about, was as
ravenous of power as the gentleman of those lower regions we hear so
much about is of sinners; that he demanded all the country's swill.
Here the General threw into the cauldron another sprinkling of grits,
which he said was to complete the pot of homony. It was merely the
daily feed of the black pig, which the colored female assisted the
General in preparing. The General seemed very good-natured, and
commenced a mathematical description of the ingredients of the
mixture, when suddenly there came a fierce blow from behind, which
well nigh tilted him deep into the foaming liquid. I grabbed the broad
expanse of his nether garments, while the wench screamed, and was only
quieted when she found him safe under her broad lee. A deep sonorous
voice responded:--'Stir quicker in the feed!' I turned to see from
whence it came, and who had dealt thus unmercifully with the General,
when behold! there stood this hideous animal. With fourteen horns he
incessantly used, and two just growing, he hoped in time to use; with
a back of thorns he ever and anon threatened all who came near him;
with a tail of poison he defiantly lashed, and a wicked eye that
sought objects afar off--he was the most pertinacious brute unchained.
Moreover he had a snout like a ploughshare, with which he had
frequently driven Mr. Pierce to the wall.
"'Add more grits!' again the brute growled out, as if alike unhappy
with himself and those around him. The voice had scarcely delivered
its command, when Mr. General Pierce, as undecided as wanting in vigor
of intellect, turned gently round, patted the hideous monster on the
head--said he would do all he could to pacify him, though to appease
his discontent seemed impossible. Indeed, it was a fact that
notwithstanding much of the swill intended for the whiter portion of
the litter was sacrificed to this demanding brute, he illustrated his
gratitude by threatening to swallow Mr. Pierce into the bargain. This
was most unfortunate, seeing how much had been done to transplant the
breed to foreign lands.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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