Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1867-08-08
ry,ek Pomroy ana MS r,e,,inah.

Nor could i J
II rained all day, and all night, al
the next day, and all the day before
Three days | was walking from
plantation to town. near Macon, Dis
iriet of Bill Arp. / think it rained
as usual. ! saw her glide from cabii
to cabin, from negro house to abod,
of negro, like baby duck, much OF
thewaddle. She carried a little cadiat
in her one hand, and on her other sh,
held high towards the cerulean hel
skirts-and all sich. She was tall
loveliness on stills. ! saw her from
the distance-she had black stockings
wore blue garters, and moved like .
doctor on a visit to his first patient
] hastened to overtake her. | slic
my umbrella over her waterfall.
asked her to excuse me, she did and
hitched crooks at once. was in my
element. And in mud. The woman
was in white. She was a blushina
daughter Of New England She wa.
a gay damsel of many seasons. She
was polisher of Hams, she knew much
about Hams. She was a sylph-like
educator of nigger-rooms. She taught
education to the ivorites--she left the
white regions and friends of New Eng
land to come South and teach the
Hams, the little Hams by day and the
big Hams by night, as she continued
her teachings by lightwood fires in a
dark wood cabin. T0C CTrra =
/ went home with her. She told
me all. could know no more. She
was feminine Yankee. She wanted
stamps Home was nothing; she was
on the make. She had not character
sufficient to teach school in New Eng
land, she was not handsome enough
to 90 to New Orleans by sea and ride
happiness on the Evening STAR" SO
she became a negro schoolist. AS a
beauty she was not above par, nor
much else. As a schoolist she was
not brilliant. Smoked glass was not
needed. As lover of Hams, she
was not severe, but when it came to
stamps, she wore her prettys all the
time. She told me that her fathers
name was Stone. Her name was
Peninah Stone. II was Bible name
it meant Precious Stone. She was
a stone. Peninah Stone.
Being from Home l was not ac-
countable, so / made love TO her. We
wandered to her abode. We eourted
till morning. Then / went with her
TO school She moved among the
Hams like a silver thimble in drip
ping painful of breeches buttons. She
wasn't much of a catch, but better
than no catch. She was one of the
stoutminded. Her early years were
spent in chewing gum, wedding onions,
pounding stone and such little amuse-
ments, incidental to New England,
coupled with psalm-singing and pray
ing for damnation to rest upon all
who were sinners.
Peninah was sprightly sylph. She
could harness an OK, split rails, stick a
hog and do all manner of such music.
We loved. 1t was a matter of
profit. Being a New Englander, she
had no heart, Simply Stone Hard.
er than a brick. Ny cherished one in
one volume as yet unopened and un
read. We walked about among the
cabins of her lambs. She was chief
engineer of a niger teaching shop,
and of hair oil trunk. We mean
dered under the black jacks and honey
suckles. First she'd sling her arms
about my neck and kiss me, then she'd
kiss the little lambs.
Said /: "Peninah, sweet one, why
kisseth thou the little be thopians :"
Then she b.lt her eyes into mine
and said
"The more we kiss 'em the more
hair oil, brass rings, photographs and
play-things we sell 'eml" !"
All, see-charming Peninah-kiss
'em all around-from cabin to cabin
Ham to Ham-from infancy TO old
.ge-and sell 'em gewgaws, for of such
is the kingdom of New England and
he thopians are the profit
And we sat on a messy bank, watch
ing the little Hams basking in the sun
as they wallowed in the warmpth,
and thus twisted our love together.
Said my sweet Peninah:
"Oh, Brick, its nice Let us wed
and be happy. I'll support you; I'm
a Yankee schoolist, not handsome
enough to be ornamental, or should
have'gone farther south; but I'm sew
eral on the make. I'll make mutton
Of the lambs in time. There's no need
Of US at home. So | came here TO
make my money. l kiss the little
Hams-I pet EN- and earess 'em-I
tell EN- that the good Abraham was
their Saviour, that he sent me on
purpose that | love them so dearly
that they are, oh so sweet 10 me, and
that in few years each of them, male
and female, shall be in Congress from
Massachusetts. And / pat their little
heads and kiss their lips, and sell them
primers and readers at FIVE hundred
per cent. profit, and i sell 'em purity
things and fines EN- for not learning
their lessons, and sells each of EN- my
photograph for dollar, each of 'em
blue clay grease for half dollar box,
and manage to diddle the little Hams
out Of all their stamps and to make
teachin' big business. Amt nice
girl, dear, dear, gentle Brick 2"
And she kissed me again and again,
till / had a link of wool left on my
lips, when she with a smile pillowed
my agile head upon her spiral indica-
tor and then went on "Oh it's nice
to be he thopian schoolist. We are