Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1845-02-28
Simon Suggs. the Shifty Man.
BY JOHNSON J. HOOPER, ESQ.,.

Times
In the esprit of the Tines of the 18th
inst. we gave the first of series of sketches
OF one Captain Suggs, late captain of the
iailapoosa Volunteers, from '''The East Ala
bantam" 1t will be recoIected that Simon.
then boy. was caught by his father-"a
hard-shell Baptist preacher in the act of
playing sold sledge" with negro boy, named
Bill, for which the old man. with a handful
or hickory sticks. threatened to take the bark
oil OF both of them, and marched them off to
"the Mulberry''-the scene of all formal pun
ishment administered during work hours ip
he field. 1t is at ''the Mulberry" that the
present sketch opens.]
1t must not be supposed that, during the
walk to the place of punishment, Simon's
mind was either inactive, or engaged in sug-
costing the gr!maces ard contortions where
with he was panomimicaly expressing his
lrreverent sentiments towards his father. Far
from it. The movements of his limbs and
features were the mere workings of habit
the self-grinding of the corporal machine
for which his reasoning half was only remote
Iy responsible. For while Simon's person
was thus, on it's own account, s'mak NO
game" of old Jedediah, his wits, in view of
the anticipated f1ogging, were dashing, spring.
ing bounding, darling about, in hot chase of
some expedient suitable to the necessities of
the case-much after the manner in which
puss, when Betty, armed with the broom, and
hotiy seeking vengeance for the pantry robb-
ed or room de6led, has closed upon her the
garrett doors and windows, attempts all sorts
OF impossible exits, to come down at last in
the corner, with painting side and gIaring eye
exhausted and defenceIess. Our unfortunate
hero could devise nothing by which he could
reasonably expect to escape the heavy blows
OF his father. Having arrived at this conclu-
sion and the Mulberry about the same time,
he stood with logged look, awaiting the is
sue.
The old man Suggs made no remark to any
one while he was Selling up Bill-a process
which, though by no means novel TO Simon.
seemed to excite in him a sort of painful in
terest. He watched it closely, as if TO learn
the precise fashion of his fathers knott and
when at last Bill was strung up a-tiptoe TO a
limb, and the whipping commenced. Simon's
arm; and as each blow descended upon the
bare shoulders of his sable friend, his own bo-
dy Wrlthed and 'wrggIed' in involuntary
sympathy.
It's the devil-it's hell" said Simon to him
self, to take such walopin' as that. Why,
the old man looks like he wants to get up the
boiler, if he could, rot his picter It's with
at least fifty cents, je-cmny, how that hurt!-
yes. it's worth three quarters Of dollar to
that 'ere iickin! Wonder if I'm pre-destina-
ted as Old Jedediah says, to get the Teller to
| it? Lord, how daddy blows! do wish to God
he'd bust right open, the durn'd old deer-fact!
| If 'twant for Ben hel pin him, 5'lleve Ia
! give the old dog tussel when it comes Tor
nv turn. 1t couldn't make the thing no wuss,
| if it didn't make it no better. Dcot it, what
do boys have daddies for, any how! Tain,
| for nuthin' but just to beat 'em and work 'em
! There's some use in mammies-l kin poke
my finger right in the old 'oman's eye, and
| keep it thar, and if say it Amt thar, shell
say faint thar too. l wish she was here &c
hold dad off. If 'twan't so fur, I'd boiler fol
( her, any how. How she would cling to the
old fellows coat tail!''
Mr.. Jedediah Suggs let down Bill and un
tied him. Approaching Simon, whose Goa
was off, Come Simon, son." said he, ''cross
them hands, I'm gwine to correct YOU"
1T 'aint no use, daddy said Simon.
why so, Smon?'
just bekase it amt. I'm gwine to play
cards as long as l live. When | 90 off tt
myself, Pm gwine to make my livin' by it
So what's the use of beatin' me about lt!'
Old Mr.. Suggs groaned as ne was wont It
do in the pulpit, at this display Of Simon's vi
Iciousness!
'Simon,' said he, you're a poor ignun
creetur. You don't know nothIn, and your
never been no whars. If ] was to turn yo'
off, you'd starve in week.
i wish you'd try me- said Simon, sand JUS
see. I'd win more money in week thai
You can make in year. There amt nobod
round here kin make seed corn off ONE a
cards. I'm rale smart he added with grea
emphasis.
Simon! Simon! You poor unlettered fool
Don't you know that all card-playefs an
chicken fighters, and horse-racers, 60 TO hell
You crack-brained creatur' you. And don
you know that them that play cards AWAY
lose their money, and
who wins it all then, daddy?' asked S
mon.
.Shet your mouth, you imperdent, slack
aw'd dog. Your daddy's a tryin' to Civ
Won some good advice, and you're pick,
up his words that way. | know'd youn
man once when l lived in OgIetharp, as wer
down to Augusty, and sold hundred dollar
worth of cotton for mis- daddy, and some {
: them gamblers got him to drnkin' and tn
> ), very first night he was with 'em they got ev'
~ cent of his money
e They couldn't git my money in aceeh,
: said Simon. ''Any body can get these he
it green fellows money; them's the sort I'm
b gwine to watch for, myself. Here's VIII
r Kin fix the papers jist about as nice as an
1t body
q, well, it's no use to argify about the ma
II ter said old Jedediah; what saith the scr
J TURTLE that begetteth fool, doeth it
e his SORROW Hence Simon, you're poo
y miserable fool-so, cross your hands!
You'd lis: as we'll not, daddy. tell u
+, :. I'm gwne to follow pay,n' cards for livir
:, = and what's the nse o bangin' Teller abo
- it? Pm as smart as any Of 'em, and b
" Smith says them Augusty fellers cant ma
rent off ONE