Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1872-02-25

cellaneously with the colored members, for
the sake Of securing her husbands re-elec-
ton to bis honorable and lucrative position.
So for half minute Pompey Howard prom
enaded among the stars with the white kid
glove Of goddess of fashion just touching
the sleeve Of his slop-shop coat.
eHave you been presented to the Gov
ernor?" asked the Speakers wife, who had
sorrowfully acquired knack of getting rid
Of people, and who was determined to get
rid of the member from Aligatorville, if
she had to push him out of window.
mo. Whar is he?" answered Pompey,
falling into the trap, though he wanted to
walk more with the white lady.
So the Speakers wife introduced him to
the Governor, who shook hands with him
and beamed on him as if he loved him,and
then quick as lightning introduced him to
particular friend of his, whose business it
was to tote off colored members and dump
them at distance, as if they were so many
loads Of garbage.
just as Pompey found mselfIdumped,
the doors of the supper-room were thrown
open. Immediately there was such rush
as there used to be into the dining halls of
American hotels, in the good old times
when the gentlemanly proprietor always set
half dozen chairs less than were necessary
to seat his guests. The white members
and the colored all ran and rampaged to-
gether, as if it were understood that the
devil had claim on the hindmost. 1t was
like a dam breaking away, and carrying
with it an ice flood. The supper-room was
packed before the first man could swallow
picked oyster, and the crush, particularly
around the tables, was enough to make
dough of a Thinoceros. Every lawgiver
took his brother by tho collar, and thrust
his elbow under his fifth rib, and did for
him.
Then came such laying on of hands and
such devouring, as if all the hungry giants
of nursery rhyme had been let loose on his
Excelency's feed. Honorable gentlemen
ladled up jellies and raked in cakes and
oranges, as if they were spading rice-swamp
mud or hoeing sweet potatoes. Ice-cream
went like the snowflake on the river, a mo-
ment white, then gone forever. Saucers OF
floating-island struggled to and fro in
the air, their contents stopping over
heads and coat-collaTs and coat-tails and
into sleeves, as the sacred oil ran down
Aaron's beard and vestments. One white
dignitary had just filed plate with luxu-
ries for his wife when dusky had of desti-
nv descended upon it like hawk upon
June bug, and removed it from his sight. 1t
was considered good joke by some legis-
lators Ono doubt as being symbOlical of the
way things went in politics. to abstract the
bananas from dishes which other legislators
were bearing away. The statesman who
had made levy on the CHAR box was justly
punished for his malversatiOn by losing
whole basketful Of sugar plums, over which
his mouth was already watering.
Into this melee Pompey Howard plunged
with the commingled joy of strong man
who knows his strength, and hungry man
who sees his supper. More than one eau
casian had reason to rue the hour when it
made acquaintance with the weighty and
widespread hoof of the member from ALI
gatorville. 1t was an unexpected oppOrtun-
ity, but one perfectly adapted to his pow
ers of avenging the wrongs and scorn OF
centuries. In a general way colOred muscle
was triumphant in the combat, easily bring
ing Indo-European muscle to grief, and
thereby nourishing itself with great Hber-
atty, though at an expense Of much china.
Pompey, for instance, smashed two plates
and goblet in the process of devouring a
peck of goodies and drinking half bottle
Of champagne.