, 1881-02-06
THE IENK1NSES.

I
her victims. :r.-:,
THE JENK1NSES.
| For The Chicago 7rtb,tne.
In 1877 lived about twenty miles from WASH
| irgto,,. Of, the Potomac River, Although so nca
| that drive Of Il few hours brings us to the CITY
| we are entirely removed from its concerns an
| interests, No throb OF the pulses OF the Krea
/ community reaches US. We make our pesloo
| tcal trip thither with poultry or garden produc
| or wool, but our manners and CUSTOMS a1e ~
| affected by it. We see it externally only. LII
people are not modified by their proximity u
the American court. They are q sturdy, uhso
phistfcated race, resembling their English an
cestors Us nearly as their brethren in any part O
the Union. These are the Inhabitants gener
ally.
| But there was one family near US who, as enej
represented a type of which they were them
| selves the only specimens ever saw, were III
terestlnx to an observer. When l say family,
| mean to include q large connection VINO lset
within q radius of a few miles. They all sPraHe
! from one pair Of ancestors, who settled mere
| long time ego, and now the ramitcations OF the
| different branches startle even themselves. The
I family name Is jenkins, and the prevailing name
| Of the male members is Sam. There are old
SAM" ''Young SAM "Long SAm,' "l4it-
| tie Sam,'' "Stif-Ies Sam," and
others distinguished by pec1lliarities OF
person and circumstance. Still others
are 'sHarrison's SAM" 'Lige's Sam, ETC., ac-
eordfng to the Christian names of their fathers
| They were d rough unkcmpt, untldy set, but
! owned large farms, and lived i'll a rude and
| boustful plenty.
| The nearest ha.itation OF lenkinses to lis was
on the adjoining farm to ours. and though we
| never associated with them there was an occa-
sio1al interchange of courtesics customary with
nefghbors in the country. Tho public road ran
! close to the house, and is we passed By We were
| frequently pressed to go in and dine, which we
were sometimes unable to refuse without rude
ness.
The head and Oldest member Of this family,
known far and wide rs Miss Nancy was Il
widow, the mother Of five sons and one daugh-
ter She w,,s a vicious old virago whose tongue
uns q terror to enemies and friends alike. 1t
was u whip of scorpions that 6courged without
discrimination alike the just and the unjust.
and there was none who dared brave her wrath
When il good temper, however, she was polite.
with L suar1ty at all times unreliable, and which
WIS but thin coating Of Ice that required to be
trod upon very gingerly, 1t cracked lilccssuntly
during conversation, and with tho horrors Of
breaking through before their eyes, her yisltors
generally left the bulk OF the conversation to
her To us. however, she Was unfailingiy polite,
and her hospitality wus boundess- Sometimes,
while out shooting in the autumn, /
stopped In upon ter wide porch
for water. She always came forth cla1 In one
long garment. which WAS, however, not long
enough to cover her bare feet, and with by no
means immaculate white cloth. Us large Us
small shawl, TIED close about her flce, the
pointed eIatls fAlling behind. Ineycr saw her at
home without this hcidgear. ...
Set down. How's your MAJ Then she would
leave me for q moment, returning with i tin
basin piled up with her celebrated apples, or
hold, full of cider. When would cut no 1ttore,
sho stuffed every pocket about me with fruit
and must. have presented u very luMpy Ap-
pcnrance rs took my leave.
II 1t we're near 1neas-tlIne. IT was next to in
possible to avoid staying to IT,
she would say, and talk OH for some time, gen
orally ending with, - You needn't be too proud
to eat IL meals O Eittels In my house" After
this Of course could make further Objce-
: '.Why amt your ma bin to see me?'' she
would ask, although my mother never had been
and never intended to 60. The question was
purity intended rs an impcrtineuce. aud partly
perhaps because she felt some slight
violent aud bitter commentary upon the
dongS Of some 4 Of 3,. Der % neighn95;s
ing in from tile fields with slouching. codhopper
gait, but always greeted me with polite and
genial *Hello,'' that mean, hearty welcome.
Dinner was then served in tue large kitchen,
and the bill Of fare, though not always tempting,
was abundant. and the food clean Half L
bushel or more OF sweet potatoes, huge joint
Of bncon, corn bread and fresh butter in llnlm-
tied quantities, milk by the gallon, tea or coffee
without sugar, spoons, or sauceEs and black
molAsses usually composed it. Then, II last
nights hunt had been successful, there WIS one,
or perhaps two, coons or 'possu.ns, which are
considered an ex4uisit dciicngy. and sought.
after with ayjt1ity.
ham Of coon, which looked :1s large rs II leg OF
mutton IN my eyes. Etiquct and II due regard
for the feelings OF my entertainers forbade me
to say that hatcI coon; t1at his flesh has {.
rank, coarse l1avor extremely dstastefnl to me;
that altogether consider him g letestable ami
NAL, In no way superior to the skunk. No. my
tongue must give expression to none Of these
sentiments. The reelztng ntass lies before me-
am expected to cat with enjoyment every
nightmare, except that 1t has occurred 50
often before. that cannot doubt its reality. So
attack it. taknE very small morscls IN great
until ar last from sheer inability to finish it,
push away the plate, with the greater porlion !
When this became evident to my entertainers,
it was reachcd for by my nearest neighbour, With
the goOd-nAturctl remark:
Hfuu uon't know I'ntU to eat coon.''
If, however, Instead of coon, this special 'le!i
cacy hAppeImn to be rossilm. no considerations
of politcncss could induce me tn touch it. Like
the nan who could not invite his parents to the
wedding. felt thur 1.-The limo must be drawn
never forget the sensation that this announce
laugh; tho boys Looked ut each other as though
stunned.
Mot like 'possum?" cried .'Ltttle Sam" iwlo
was only SIX feet two}. as soon as he could speak.
"What. Not when he's fut?"
1t may be we'll to i.:fornl those who nre unfa-
1niliur with him that 'possum Is fat, or he IS
nothing. He knows no golden mean. He
is either II wrctched skeleton, the most
hideous Of NIL wrecks. or he Is all fat.
There is literally nothing of his abon-
in:l,lc person but fit. He sheds it ut every
pore; mis- skin reeks with It; his hair is cla1nr1y
with It; be Is the superlatiye expression OF the
term fat: Il disgusting specimen of obesity that
ii makes one shudler 10 contemplate.
let he must be in just this condition to be rel
lshcl by tho rustic l>n1ate- Brillat Suyarin WAS
not more particular for the pllmpnes5 Of his
ortolan than II Little Sam " Jenkins for the fat
ness OF his 'possuu,: md tho horror OF the Duo
dc 1iOmlctte when he cried: '!ih. Get oisenu
modesto que til Il lishabille de ses plu,ues, ct
que tn Ii seryf sans papicr!' WIS not greater |
than his would be see his fayorit served thin.
# the 'possum when captured Is sufficiently
reduced to be able to sec out Of his eyes, he IS
put in q box and fat1ened to the required degree
with pcrsim1nons, chicken grapes, haws, and
other choice food.
But d!grcss- During dinner the talk was Of
hunting and fishing; or. politics, in which they
took Il lively but benightcd interest; or taxes,
which they regarded device OF the Collector 1
for venting his spite toward his ncighbors; or
some new 1nuc1inc or fnr1n implement which
they hated llecAusc of ft3 ncWueSs rnty H1(isS