New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1856-05-26
Zeph. Hobkirs's Experience.

\ When was down to New Orleans maxim my
etarnal fortin who should turn up one day Of all Gre
alton but Deacon Brittles darter Sal, crter used
1 to be kind o. sweet on in Yarmouth. But, good gla
cious along side o. them Creoles and French gals
WALL its no use talking-capa are oaorous-
as Mrs. Malaprop says in the play. Ofeourse wasn't
over and above delighted to see her-idnt Jump clean
out O. my butes, tare my dickey, or do anything
that Sort but seein' as how I'd written the oreeter
some pooty strong letters when was tn hum and as
verdant as year old donkey put pooty good lace
on the matter, and made believe Twas dreadful glad
to see her. The old deacon is pooty well to do, and
in case nothn breaks, thinks why, Sal is a pooty
nice gal and, all things considered might go far
ther and fare wuss. Eff didn't go farther and fare
wuss, may be kicked to death by grasshoppers. But
I'm gettin ahead Of my story Skinned up agin'. to
SAL and took her out to ride fewtreaed her toice
| creams, AKsETTERY in while. But what on
airth put it into my head to take the creeter to ball
1 -cept twas my i'll luck-I never could diskver.
To make q long story short, / took Sal to rampn,'
/ tearin,' two-dolar ball. FiXin's elegant-Amercan
f1ags-bokays-the blacklist kind of niger hddlers-
/ chalked foorsAKsETTERY. But five mnits arter I'd
j been thar didn't see no gaslight no flowers no
chalk no nggers, no Sal, no nothin except one of
splendoriferou angelerons, onaccountabe,
bewitchn' facinatin, female critters, ever set my
\ eyes onto. w"E
7 ketched hold of a floor manager and made
y him introduce me to her. Gee-whitaker what
i a kurchy she made, and bowed so low nearly
fell outer my dicky into the floor We danced good
4 reel and wasso delighted with the critter, Iengag
4 ed her for the whole evening.
4 "Do you waltz, Mr.. Hobkins ~ said she.
4 g" don't do nothin else, said l. bold as brass, and
with that kotced hold of her like seed the other
fellers dun to their gals, an if didn't sling her,
then there's no snow on kilngly Peak. few com.
plinentary remarks snch as go it boots, from the
: bystanders, encouraged me to do my best, and the
t. way i flung them cowhdes was perfectly awful
say it with realizin sense Of the moral responsible
ity of the assershun. Once in while ketched site
of SAL seten up against the wall in solitary glory
but it only made me cut up harder.
Bime-by got kind o dizzy, and the next know c
was settin' on sofy and that ere angel holein
soltz to my noze, and bendn over me like hen owe
: spawned chicken. didn't see no more, nor thinl
. no more of Sal arter that. How she got home,
didn't inquire. waited on my angel to her door, ant
!. when she teled me might call on her, went hom
chuck full of glory and happiness, and dreamed al
! mite the strongest kinds of dreams about my beu
:: in the garden Of Eden and playin high low Jack
/ with Gen. Washington and Mary Queen of Scots.
. Next day, perhaps didn't call on my cha1mer-
i well I reckon did though ! bust rite out, and toll
i her loved her better than maple sugar and ney
q cider. s- s,o..
: evil you do me fayor?" says she.
i /" Anything in reason, or agn' reason" replied.
:. 'Well,' says she, looking good enough to eat, !"
- want you to buy me cowhide-here's bit to pa
e for it, 5.[- DR.. .s..- ...
: g Darn the expense!" saysI am make you
q present of it."
a a of went, proud of the commission, and boug1
a her a real nice stinger-cost me shillin-wonde
"a in who on airth she wanted to give lickn to. "
If hey it," thought l. some other fellow, she don
;: like has been pelseeutin her. and now she's to 81
< him the sack and o ckin into the bargin."
- So says /, as l handed her the cowhide, q Mi
a. Eyelina (that was her name) should like to kno
the name of the individual that ere cowhide is de
mr. tined to astonish."
"a "He's about your size,' says she, with a pecu
twinkle that didn't somewhat exactly like. The
q she teled me how Sal had been there, and told h
IN how shameful I'd treated her-and then-my star
if she didn't usesthat cowhide powerfully.
4 Hold on J" says I, "a it hurtso
HfyIad IF IL u saws nlanty mora iickS VIII
them comes from J" and she pelted away my hea
NJ and ears, and limbs, and arms, until the air SEEM
nr full of ticks and cowhides. | holered enut but
Of want no kind of use. l hedn't had such licki
since blowed up the old skule house stove with
~ theirs powder horn, and got ketched jest US l W
teching off the train. rid home in carriage--th
" cost me dollar--andI kept my bed for fortni
h was site to be seen. My head SWelled up bng
: than yeller pumpkin.
10 When got well, I went to see Sal to explain mi
r? tiers and make up with her. But she didn't care
Ia make my akwaintance. The ingratitnde of WON
ye is unaccountabe. And there was Teller with bla
- whskers settin alongside of her, who said someth
rs about splin' for fife, which made me make trac
NJ in double quick time. The story got into the new
y papers, and darned if it didn't make New Orlea
- too hot to hold me- Sal, too soon married the Gle
- of steamboat. So cum north but hain,t call
VI on any gals sence.
nd SOUTH AMERICAN SNAKEs.-In this part of t
y Orinoco we repeatedly saw water snakes swlmml
q a from one island to another and in some instanc
"a they passed over the boats to the great alarm of
~ passengers, but without attempting to do any m
\, chief They of light, green color six or Gig
~ feet long, and swim with about third of their bo
o. cut of the water; propelling themselves rapid
u, along by the undulatng motion of their tail.
ny were informed by the boatmen that their preytct
n sisted principally of water rats and young birds
sY steersen of the launches always endeayor to ave-
n, sailing under the trees that oVerhang the river IL
90 the mast might detach some of the snakes from
". branches.
ue We frequently saw numbers of them, exhibit
y, the most brilliant colors while basking in the sun
-; the trees. An European traveller who visited thu
~ parts in 1885, lay down TO sleep upon the banks OF
W, We Ornoco, and was presently awakened by cries
ad fnund b;n,saIf enrreind in the folds Of innmera
"a la snakes 2? The native boatmen, whose cries b
r r1v aroused him. proceeded to deliver him from
~ ~ hideous coils in which he was enmeshed; but
-. ,ia4l- 1891 IMAM l