The Every-day Book and Table Book. v. 3 (of 3): Everlasting Calerdar of Popular Amusements, Sports, Pastimes, Ceremonies, Manners, Customs and Events, Incident to Each of the Three Hundred and Sixty-five Days, in past and Present Times; Forming a Complete History of the Year, Month, and Seasons, and a Perpetual Key to the AlmanacHone, William
History
The Every-day Book and Table Book. v. 3 (of 3): Everlasting Calerdar of Popular Amusements, Sports, Pastimes, Ceremonies, Manners, Customs and Events, Incident to Each of the Three Hundred and Sixty-five Days, in past and Present Times; Forming a Complete History of the Year, Month, and Seasons, and a Perpetual Key to the Almanac
Hone, William
Days; Great Britain -- Social life and customs
Phillis then advanced to the bar, to give her testimony. She was, as her
counsel represented, truly made up of flesh and blood, being what is
called a strapping wench, as black as the ace of spades. She was dressed
in the low Dutch fashion, which has not varied for a century,
linsey-woolsey petticoats, very short, blue worsted stockings, leather
shoes, with a massive pair of silver buckles, bead ear-rings, her woolly
hair combed, and face sleek and greasy. There was no “dejected ’haviour
of visage”--no broken heart visible in her face--she looked fat and
comfortable, as if she had sustained no damage by the perfidy of her
swain. Before she was sworn, the court called the defendant, who came
from among the crowd, and stood respectfully before the bench. Cuff was
a good-looking young fellow, with a tolerably smartish dress, and
appeared as if he had been in the metropolis taking lessons of
perfidious lovers--he cast one or two cutting looks at Phillis,
accompanied by a significant turn up of the nose, and now and then a
contemptuous ejaculation of Eh!--Umph!--Ough!--which did not disconcert
the _fair_ one in the least, she returning the compliment by placing her
arms a-kimbo, and surveying her lover from head to foot. The court
inquired of Cuff whether he had counsel? “No, massa, (he replied) I tell
my own ’tory--you see massa ’Squire, I know de gentlemen of de jury
berry vell--dere is massa Teerpenning, of Little ’Sophus, know him berry
vell--I plough for him;--den dere is massa Traphagan, of our town--how
he do massa?--ah, dere massa Topper, vat prints de paper at Big
’Sophus--know him too;--dere is massa Peet Steenberg--know him too--he
owe me little money:--I know ’em all massa ’Squire;--I did go to get
massa Lucas to plead for me, but he gone to the Court of Error, at
Albany;--Massa Sam Freer and massa Cockburn said they come to gib me
good character, but I no see ’em here.”
Cuff was ordered to stand aside, and Phillis was sworn.
Plaintiff said she did not know how old she was; believed she was
sixteen; she looked nearer twenty-six; she lived with Hons Schoonmaker;
was brought up in the family. She told her case as pathetically as
possible:--
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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