Mississippi Democrat. (Carrollton, Miss.) 1844-18??, 1845-02-12
.M fsrrIIaMp.
SIMON sUGGs, THE sHIFTY MAN
BY JOHNSON ]. HOOPER, ESQ.

BY JOHNSON J. HOOPER, ESQ,
IA series of sketches of one Capt. Suggs,
late captain of the Tallapoosa Volunteers,
are being published in the East .alabamian.
In the first number, Simon, then boy, was
caught by his father" hard-she! Baptist
preacher"-in the act of playing sold
sledge" (seven-up) with negro boy nam
ed Bill, for which the old man, with hand
full of hickory sticks, threatens to take the
bark off of both Of them, and marches them
off to "the mulberry tree," the scene of all
formal punishment administered during
work hours in the field. 1t is at "the null
berry" the present sketch opens.l
II must not be supposed that, during the
walk TO the place of punishment Simon's
mind was either inactive, or engaged in
suggesting the grimaces and contortions
wherewith he was pantominically express
sing his irreverent sentiments towards his
father. Far from it. The movement of
his limbs and features were the mere work
ings of habit--the selfgrinding of the cor
poreal machine-for which his reasoning
half was only remotely responsible. For
while Simon's person was thus, on its
own account, "making game" Of old Jed
ediah, his wits, in view Of the anticipated
fogging, were dashing, springing, bound
ing, 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 holly seeking vengeance for the pan
try robbed, has closed upon her the gar
ret doors and windows, attempts al sorts
Of impossible exits, 10 come down at last
in the corner, with painting side and glar-
ing eye, exhausted and defenceless. Our
unfortunate hero could devise nothing by
which he could reasonably expect to es-
cape the heavy blows Of his father. Ha-
wing arrived at this conclusion and at ''the
mulberry" about the same time, he stood,
with logged look, awaiting the issue.
The old man Suggs made no remark to
any one while he was seizing up Bill--a
process which, though by no means novel
to Simon, seemed TO excite in him sort
of painfu interest. He watched it closely,
as if TO learn the precise fashion of his
fathers knot; and when, at last, Bill was
strung up a-tiptoc TO a limb, and the whip
ping 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 bo.
dy writhed and wriggled' in involuntary
sympathy.
81 It's the devil, it's hell,' said Simon to
himself, "to take such wallopin' as that.
Why, the old man looks as if he wanted TO
get to the boiler, il he could--rot his picier!
It's with, at least, fifty cents--je-e.miny,
how that hurt yes, it's wuth ihree-qaar.
tiers Of dollar to take that ere lickin'!
Wonder il I'm "predestinated," as old
Jed'diah says. to gil the Teller TO III Lord,
how daddy blows! ! do wish TO God he'd
bust right open, the d"rned old deer.face
II twa'nt for Ben helpin' him, b'lieve
I'D give the old Teller tussle when il comes
to my turn. Ii couldn't make the thing no
wuss if it didn't make X no better. ID rot
1t! what do boys have daddies for, any how
faint for nulhin' but just TO beat 'em and
work 'em. There's some use in mammies
Il kin poke my finger right in the old
'oman's eye, and keep il thar, and if say
il aiat thar. she'll say faint thar too. n
wish she was here to hold daddy of. III
twa'n'i so fur, I'D boiler for her, any how.
How she'd cling 10 the old fellows coat
laill"
Mr. Jedediah suggs Lot down Bill, and