"'My grandfather,' resoomes Colonel Sterett, after bein' refreshed,
'is as full of fun as money-musk, an' when that audience gets onto
the joke in its completeness, the merriment is wide an yooniversal.
It's the hit of the barbecue; an' in this way, little by little, my
grandfather wins his neighbors to his beliefs, ontil he's got the
commoonity all stretched an' hawgtied, an' brands her triumphant for
Gen'ral Jackson.'
"'An' does your own pap follow in the footprints of his old gent, as
a convincin' an' determined statesman that a-way?' asks Doc Peets.
'No,' says Colonel Sterett, 'my own personal parent simmers down a
whole lot compared to my grandfather. He don't take his pol'tics so
much to heart; his democracy ain't so virulent an' don't strike in.
His only firm stand on questions of state, as I relates the other
day, is when he insists on bein' nootral doorin' the late war. I
explains how he talks federal an' thinks reb, an' manages, that a-
way, to promote a decent average.
"'His nootrality, however, don't incloode the fam'ly none. My
brother Jeff--an' I never beholds a haughtier sperit-goes
squanderin' off with Morgan at the first boogle call,' "'That raid
of Morgan's,' says Enright, his eye brightenin', 'is plumb full of
dash an' fire.' "'Shore,' says the Colonel, 'plumb full of dash an'
fire. But Jeff tells me of it later, foot by foot, from the time
they crosses the river into Injeanny, till they comes squatterin'
across at Blennerhasset's Island into Kaintucky ag'in, all' I sadly,
though frankly, admits it looks like it possesses some elements of a
chicken-stealin' expedition also. Jeff says he never sees so many
folks sincere, an' with their minds made up, as him all' Morgan an'
the rest of the Bloo Grass chivalry encounters oil that croosade.
Thar's an uprisin' of the peasantry, Jeff says, whereever they goes;
an' then clods pursoocs Jeff an' the others, from start to finish,
with hoes an' rakes an' mattocks an' clothes-poles an' puddin'-
sticks an' other barbarous an' obsolete arms, an' never lets up
ontil Jeff an' Morgan all' their gallant comrades is ag'in safe in
the arms of their Kaintucky brethren.
Their stay in any given spot is trooly brief.
That town of Cincinnati makes up a bundle of money big enough to
choke a cow to give 'em as a ransom; but Jeff an' Morgan never do
hear of it for years. They goes by so plumb swift they don't get
notice; an' they fades away in the distance so fast they keeps ahead
of the news. However, they gets back to Kaintucky safe an' covered
with dust an' glory in even parts; an' as for Jeff speshul, as the
harvest of his valor, he reports himse'f the owner of a one-sixth
interest in a sleigh which him an' five of his indomitable
companions has done drug across the river on their return. But they
don't linger over this trophy; dooty calls 'em, so they stores the
sleigh in a barn an' rides away to further honors.
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.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account