The Orpheus C. Kerr Papers, Series 3Newell, R. H. (Robert Henry)
History
The Orpheus C. Kerr Papers, Series 3
Newell, R. H. (Robert Henry)
United States -- History -- Civil War, 1861-1865 -- Fiction
the Grain Elevator, the Institution for Friendless Maniacs, the
Principal Pork-Packing Establishment, the Hall of Records, the Office
of the Superintendent of Central Parks, the Madman's Snug Harbor, and
the Municipal Bar-Room. The sixty-eight principal banks would have
discounted bills of exchange at sight, for the benefit of the numerous
foreign vessels constantly arriving at the principal pier by way of the
Atlantic and Pacific Canal, and the Fire Department would have been
limited to twenty-three hundred hose-carriages and engines, with an
educated Chief Engineer." Here the thoughtful Democratic chap gnashed
his teeth, and says he:
"But the City of Rome has been entirely retarded by this here Black
Republican New England war upon the sunny South, with which the great
North-west has no earthly quarrel whatsoever."
I was pondering a reply to this very reasonable speech, my boy, when
word was suddenly brought that one of the Mackerel pickets had just
assassinated a young Confederacy, who had only fired twice upon his
inhuman murderer. No sooner did the thoughtful Proprietor of the City
of Rome hear this sickening news than he at once formed the other
Democratic chaps into a coroner's jury, and hastily proceeded to hold a
high moral inquest upon the body of the lamented deceased.
There being no witnesses to examine, and nothing in the pocket-book
found upon the body, the proprietor of Rome removed two tears with his
red silk handkerchief, and briefly summoned up the case. Kneeling
desolately beside the cold remains, and taking one of the lifeless
hands within his own, he sniffed feelingly, and says he:
"The young man which is here before us is another of them noble souls
that have fallen gory sacrifices to the Mulock of War."
"You mean 'Moloch of War,'" says a juryman.
Whereupon he was committed to custody for contempt of court.
"This young man," continued the Proprietor of Rome, "may have had good
cause to hate and despise the radical abolition offsprings of New
England; but he had no quarrel with the glorious Democratic party of
the Great North-west, which is now blindly fighting for his
wooden-nutmeg foes. I will venture to say," says the thoughtful Roman,
with great emotion, "that he even loved the Great North-west in his
heart. Behold how freely he permits me to clasp his left hand to my
friendly buzzom, even though he is dead."
Just then there was a sudden silence, my boy, for the right hand of the
deceased young Confederacy was observed to be slowly rising in the air!
Overcome with awe, the jury gazed upon the strange spectacle, like men
under a wizard's spell. Slowly, slowly, the hand arose, until nearly
above the face of the slain Confederacy; then it descended until it
reached the half-averted countenance of the dead, and convulsively
seized the nose between the thumb and fore-finger.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account