I
shall mortgage it on a farm. I feel vary goot, vary pig, and vary
rich. If I would not lose my bay and commission, I would kick de
colonel, kiss his vife, and put my cane thro' his vinder. I don't care
von damn for nopoty no more."
1 Marooning differs from pic-nicing in this--the former continues
several days, the other lasts but one.
2 Cahoot is one of the new coinage, and in Mexico, means a band or
cavalcade.
Well, his wife soon after that took a day and died; and he followed
her to the grave. It was the first time he ever gave her precedence,
for he was a disciplinarian; he knew the difference of "rank and
file," and liked to give the word of command, "Rear rank, take open
order--march!" Well, I condoled with him about his loss. Sais he: "Mr
Shlick, I did'nt lose much by her: the soldier carry her per order, de
pand play for noting, and de crape on de arm came from her ponnet."
"But the loss of your wife?" said I.
Well, that excited him, and he began to talk Hessian. "Jubes renovare
dolorem," said he.
"I don't understand High Dutch," sais I, "when it's spoke so almighty
fast."
"It's a ted language," said he.
I was a goin' to tell him I didn't know the dead had any language, but
I bit in my breath.
"Mr Shlick," said he, "de vife is gone" (and clapping his waistcoat
pocket with his hand, and grinning like a chissy cat), he added, "but
de monish remain.
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