Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1867-07-11
{" Brick ,Femeroy and his Penin.
nak.,, gIHe 1t.ss r..a
She could't help it /!
Nor n0uld


She could't help it! sa-
Nor could l. .satlsl
1t rained all day, and all night, all the
next day, and all the. day before. Three
daysl J was walking from plantation to
town, near Macon, District OF Bill Arp. i
think itrained, as usual. ] saw her gliding
from cabin to cabin, from negro house to
abode Of negro, like a baby duck, much on
the-waddie. She carried a little cadias in
her one hand, and in the other she held
high towards the cerulean her skirts-and
all sich.s She was tall-loveliness on stills.
I saw her from the ldistance-she had
black stockings, wore blue garters, and
moved like a doctor on visit to his f1rst
pa tient i5g gs~d p = ln4Ir;s ee
I IIhastened to oyertake her. slid my
umbrella over her waterfall. / asked her
to excuse me, she did and hitched crooks
at once.eI was In my element. And in
mud. The woman was in white. She was
a blushing daughter of New England. She
was gay damseI of many seasons. She
was a polisher of Hams, she knew much
about Hams. She was sylph-like educa-
torof niggereroems.s She taught education
to the iyorites-she left the white regions
and friends Of New England 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 dark wood cabin.
I went home with her. She told me all.
I could know no more. She was a temin-
inc Yankee. She wanted stamps. Home
was nothing; she was on the make. She
had not character sufficient to teach school
in New England, she was not handsome
enough TO go to New Orleans by sea and
ride happiness on the "Evening Star" so
she became negro sehoolist. As beauty
she was not above par, nor much else. As
a sehoolist she was not brilliant. Smoked
glass was not needed. AS lover of Hams
she was not severe, but when it came to
etamps, she wore her prettys all the time.
She told me that her fathers name was
Stone. Her name was Penlnnah Stone.
1t was Bible name-it meant Precious
Stone. She was a stone, Peninnah Stone,
Being from home was not accountable,
so made love to her. We wandered to her
abode We courted till morning. Then
went with her to school. She moved among
the Hannslike silver thimble in dripping
painful of breeches buttons. She wasn't
much of catch, but better than no catch.
She was one of the stoutm1nded. Her early
wears were spentin chewing gum, wedding
onions, pounding some and such little
amIisements, incidental to New England,
coupled with psalm singing and praying
for damnation to rest upon all who were
sinners. .s9u rat
PeninnahH was sprightly sylph. She
could harness an OK, split rails, stick hog
We loved. 1t was a matter of profit
Being a New Highlander, she had no heart.
Simply stone. Harder than brick. My
cherished one in one volume as yet unopen-
ed and unread. We walked about among
the cabins OF her lambs. She was chief en-
gineer of nigger teaching shop, and of a
hair oil trunk. We meandered under the
black Jacks and honey-suekles. First she'd
sling her Srms about my neck and kiss me-
then she'd kiss the little lambs. Said l.:
"Peninnab, sweet one, why kissest thou
the little he thopians?"
Then she bent her eyes into mine and
The more we kiss 'em the more hair oil
brass rings, photographs and playthings we
sell 'emi"
All, see-charming Peninnah-kiss 'em
ALI round-from cabin to cabin-Ham to
Ham-from infancy to old age-and sell 'em
oewpaws, for of such is the kingdom oi
New England and he thopians are the
And we sat on a messy bank, watching
the little Hams basking in the sun as they
walloWed in the warmth, and thus twisted
our love together. Said my sweet PENN
"Oh.. Brick,fts nice! Let us wed and be
happy. I'll support you; Pm Yankee
schoolist, not handsome enough to be orna-
mental, or should have gone farther SOUTH
but Pm several on the make. I'll make
mutton OF L0e lamDS Ill Gliuc' 1ueFGS DC
need of us at home, so came here to. make
INV money. I kiss the little Hams-I pet
'em and caress 'em-I tell 'em that the
good Abraham was their Savior, that he
Sent me on purpose; that love them SO
dearly; thatrthey are, oh, so sweet to me,
and that In a few years each of them, male
and female, shall be in Congress from Mas
sachusetts. And l pat their little heads
and kiss their lips, and sell them primmers
and readers at five hundred per cent. profit,
and TseH 1em purity things and fines 'em
for not=fearning their lessons, and sells
each of 'em my photograph for dollar,
each of 'em blEe clay grease for hall dollar
a box, and manage to diddle the little Hams
out of all theirstamps and to make teachin'
a biQ business. Ain't a nice girl, dear,
dear, gentle Brick?"
And she kissed me again and again, till
Ihad & INK of wool left on my lips, when
she with a smile pillowed my agile head
upon her spiral indicator and then went
on: son IT'S nice to be heT thopian school
ist. We are from home. We are on the
make. There are some teachers here that
are GOOD but not sharp. They doc't specu-
late as we do. They simply teach for their
salaries. But they are not Yankees, only
half bfeeds. Z ] can make enough herefi
q wear: OF 4aaa on to Abuy plantation,
then we'll set up for nabobs! Let US wed.
I,II teach 'em; you soap 'em. Well wed.
Won 90 North as Southern loyaiist, I'll
1o North as an injured female; we'll do
= r--i.;a. and than do the soft ones in