The Woodstock age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1844-1845, 1845-02-27
SIMON SUGGs, THE SHIFTY MAN
by JOHNSON ]. HOOPER, ESQ.

We get the following good 'un from
that spicy journal, the New Nork Spirit
fthe Times
In the esprit of the Times" Of the
nth inst, we gave the first of a series
of sketches of one Captain SUGGs, late
captain ofthe Tallapoosa V oluntcers, from
"The East Albanian. d" 1t will be rec
objected that SIMON, then a boy was
caught by his lather--a "hard-sheIl Bap-
list preacher"-n the act Of playing cold
sledge" with a negro boy, named BILL,
for which the old man, with handful Of
hickory sticks, threatened to take the
Jarh off of both of them, and marched
them off to "the Mulberry, "-the scene
of all formal punishment administered
during work-hours in the field. 1t is at
"the Mulberry" that the present sketch
opens.
1t must not be supposed that, during
the walk to the place punishment, ST.
mons mind was either inactive, or unenga-
ged in suggesting the grimaces and con-
tortiors whrewith he was pantomimically
expressing his irreverent sentiments to-
wards his father. Far from it. The
movements of his limbs and features
were the mere workings Of habit-the
self-grinding Of the corporeal machine
for which his reasoning halfwas only re-
motely responsible. For while Simon's
person was thus on its own account max
ing game" of old Jedidiah, his wits, in
view of the anticipated nogging, were
dashing, springing, bounding darling a.
bout, in hot chase of some cxpedient suit
able TO the necessities of the case-much
after the manner in which puss, when
Betty, armed with the broom, and hotly
seeking the vengeance for the pantry
robbed or room.dcfled, has closed upon
her the garret-doors and windows, at
temps all manner Of impossible exits, to
come down at last in the corner, with
painting side and glarlng eye, exhausted
and dclenceless. Our unfortunate hero
could devise nothing by which he coul&
reasonably expect to escape the heavy
blows of his father. Having arrived at
this conclusion and the "Mulbury" about
the same time, he stood with a logged
look, awaiting the issue.
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
sort of painful interest. He watched
it closely, as if to learn the precise fash
ion of his fathers knot; and when at last
Bill was strung up a-tptoe to limb land
the whipping commenced, Simon's eye
followed every movement Of his fathers
arm; and as each blow descended upon
the bare shoulders of his sable friend, his
own body writhed and 'wriggled' in in
voluntary sympathy.
''lt's the devil-it's hell" said Simon.
to himself, "to take such a wallopin' as
that. Why, the old man looks like zf
he wants tn git up the holler, if he could
rot his picter! it's wuth at least fifty
cents-je-cm-ny, how that hurt!-yes,
its wulh three-quarters of a dollar tn take
that are lckin'! Wonder if I'm 'predeS-
tiaated,' as old Jedidiah seq, tn grit the
ieler tn it, Loddy, how daddy blows!-
/ du wish to Cory he bust right open,
the darn'd old deer-face! If 'twarnt for
Ben helpin' him, bleeve I'd give the
old dog tussle when it comes for my
turn. 1t couldn't make the thing no wus-
ser, if it didn't make it no better. Rot it!
what du boys have daddies for, any how ?
faint for nolthin' but jaist tn beat 'em
and work 'em. There's some use in
mammes-I kin poke my finger right in
the old 'oman's eye, and keep it thar;and
if | say it amt thar, she'll say faint thar,
tu-I wish she was here to hold daddy
off. If twan't so fur, I'd holler for her,
emmy how. How she would cling tn the
old felIer's coat-tail!"
MIR Jcdidiah Snggs let down Bill, and
united him. Approaching Simon, whose
coat was off, "Come Simon, son." said
he, "cross them are hands; I'm gwine
tn correck yew.'
"It amt no use, daddy" said Simon,
"Why so, Simon?'
"Jaist bekase it amt. I'm gwino tn
play keards as long as live. When
60 to myself, I'm gwine tn make my
livin' by it. So, what's the use O. beatin
me about til"
Old Mr. Suggs groaned, as he was