He knew it was true that the
king had that custom, and it dumb-foundered him. He looked at me as
much as to say, "Well, that is capital; the idea of a Yankee, who
spits like a garden-engine, swearing it's a bad habit he larned in
Europe, and a trick he got from dining with a king, is the richest
thing I ever heard in my life. I must tell that to Palmerston."
But I didn't let him off so easy. In the course of talk, sais he:
"Mr Slick, is it true that in South Carolina, if a free nigger, on
board of one of our vessels, lands there, he is put into jail until
the ship sails?" and he looked good, as much as to say, "Thank heaven
I ain't like that republican."
"It is," said I. "We consider a free nigger and a free Englishman on a
parr; we imprison a free black, lest he should corrupt our slaves. The
Duke of Tuscany imprisons a free Englishman, if he has a Bible in his
possession, lest he should corrupt his slaves. It's upon the
principle, that what is sauce for the goose is sauce for the gander."
He didn't pursue the subject.
That's what I call brag for brag. We never allow any created critter,
male or female, to go a-head of us in anything. I heard a lady say to
embassador's wife once, in answer to her question, "how she was?"
"Oh, I am in such rude health, I have grown quite indecently stout."
Embassadress never heard them slang words before (for even high life
has its slang), but she wouldn't be beat.
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