The Orpheus C. Kerr Papers Volume I Part 47

"By all that's blue," says Captain Bob Shorty, excitedly, "now I'll be--"

"Be calm--now, be calm," says the conservative Kentucky chap, hastily, "don't I tell you that it's only natural for the good old soul to be a little provoked? If you go to irritate him, we can never live together as brethren again."

Matters being thus rendered pleasant, my boy, we quickly finished the simple meal; and as Captain Bob Shorty warded off the carving-knife just thrown at him by the Chivalry's little son, he turned to the female Confederacy, and says he:

"Many thanks for your kind hospitality; and now about that straw bed?"

The Virginia matron threw the vinegar-cruet at him, and says she:

"My servants have already given one to your scorpions, you nasty Yankee."

"Of course," says the venerable Chivalry, just missing a blow at me with a bowie-knife, "of course, your despicable Government will pay me for my property!"

"Pay _you_!" says Captain Bob Shorty, hotly, "now I'll be--"

"Certainly it will, my friend," broke in the conservative Kentucky chap, eagerly, "the Union troops come here as your friends; for they make war on none but traitors."

As we left the domicil, my boy, brus.h.i.+ng from our coats the slops that had just been thrown upon us from an upper window, I saw the Chivalry's children training a fowling-piece from the roof, and hoisting the flag of the Southern Confederacy on one of the chimneys.

And will it be possible to regain the love of these n.o.ble people again, my boy, if we treat them const.i.tutionally? We shall see, my boy, we shall see.

Yours, for further national abas.e.m.e.nt,

ORPHEUS C. KERR.

LETTER LII.

DESCRIBING, AMONG OTHER THINGS, A SPECIALITY OF CONGRESS, A VENERABLE POPULAR IDOL, AND THE DIFFICULTIES EXPERIENCED BY CAPTAIN SAMYULE SA-MITH IN DYING.

WAs.h.i.+NGTON, D.C., June 25th, 1862.

How beautiful is Old Age, my boy, when it neither drinks nor swears.

There is an oily and beneficent dignity about fat Old Age which overwhelms us with a sense of our crime in being guilty of youth. I have at last been introduced to the Venerable Gammon, who is all the time saying things; and he is a luscious example of overpowering Old Age. He is fat and gliding, my boy, with a face that looks like a full moon coming out of a sheepskin, and a dress indicating that he may be anything from a Revolutionary Forefather to the patriarch of all the Grace Church s.e.xtons. I can't find out that he ever did anything, my boy, and no one can tell why it is that he should treat everybody in office and out of it in such a fatherly and fatly condescending manner; but the people fairly idolize him, my boy, and he is all the time saying things.

When I was introduced to the Venerable Gammon he was beaming benignantly on a throng of adoring statesmen in the lobby of Congress, and I soon discovered that he was saying things.

"Men tell us that this war has only just commenced," says the Venerable Gammon with fat profundity, "but they are wrong. _War is like a stick, which has two ends--the end nearest you being the_ BEGINNING."

Then each statesman wanted the Venerable Gammon to use _his_ pocket-handkerchief; and five-and-twenty desperate reporters tore pa.s.sionately away to the telegraph office to flash far and wide the comforting remarks of the Venerable Gammon.

Are we a race of unsuspecting innocents, my boy, and are we easily imposed upon by s.h.i.+rt-ruffles and oily magnitude of manner? I believe so, my boy--I believe so.

Speaking of Congress; I attended one of its sittings the other day, my boy, and was deeply edified to observe its manner of legislating for our happy but distracted country.

The "Honorable Speaker" (_ne_ Grow) occupied the Chair.

Mr. PODGERS (republican, Ma.s.s.) desired to know if the tax upon Young Hyson is not to be moderated? Speaking for his const.i.tuents he would say that the present rate was entirely too high to suit any grocer--

Mr. STAGGERS (conservative, Border State) wished to know whether this body intended to legislate for white men or n.i.g.g.e.rs? His friend, the pusillanimous scoundrel from Ma.s.sachusetts, chose to oppose the tax on Young Hyson because--to use his own words--it would not "suit a negro, sir--"

Mr. PODGERS thought his friend from the Border State was too hasty. The phrase he used was "_any grocer_."

Mr. STAGGERS withdrew his previous remark. We were fighting this war to secure the Const.i.tution and the pursuit of happiness to the misguided South, and he accepted his friend's apology.

Mr. FIGGINS (democrat, New Jersey) said that he could not but notice that everything all the Honorable gentlemen had said during this session was a fatal heresy, destructive of all Government, degrading to the species, and an insult to the common sense of his (Figgins') const.i.tuents. His const.i.tuents demanded that Congress should set the country at rights before Europe. It would appear that at the least imperious sign from Europe, the American knee grows--

Mr. JUGGLES (con., Border State) desired to inquire of the House whether the great struggle in which we are now engaged is for the benefit of the Caucasian race or the debased African? His friend, the puling idiot from New Jersey, had seen fit to remark that the American negroes--

Mr. FIGGINS denied that he had spoken at all of negroes. He was about to say, that at the slightest behest of Europe "the _American knee grows flexible to bend_."

Mr. JUGGLES wished it to be understood that he was satisfied with his Honorable friend's explanation. He would take something with the Honorable Gentleman immediately after adjournment.

Mr. CHUNKY (rep., New Hamps.h.i.+re) was anxious to inquire whether it was true, as stated in the daily papers, that General McDowell had been ordered to imprison all the Union men within his lines on suspicion of their being Secessionists, and place a guard over the property of the Secessionists, on suspicion of their being Union men? If so, he would warn the Administration that it was cheris.h.i.+ng a viper which would sting it:

"The rose you deftly cull-ed, man, May wound you with its thorn, And--"

Mr. WADDLES (Union, Border State) protested against the decency of a Const.i.tutional body like Congress being insulted with the infamous and seditious abolition doggerel just quoted by his friend, the despicable incendiary from New Hamps.h.i.+re. We were waging this war solely to put down treason, and not to hear a rose, the fairest of flowers, mentioned in the same breath with the filthy colored man--

Mr. CHUNKY was sorry to observe that his Honorable friend had misunderstood his language. The line he had used was simply this:

"The rose you deftly _cull-ed, man_."

Mr. WADDLES was glad that his valued friend from New Hamps.h.i.+re had apologized. He had only taken exception to what he considered a fatal heresy.

That was enough for me, my boy, and I left the hall of legislation; for I sometimes become a little wearied when I hear too much of one thing, my boy.

I mentioned my impression to the Venerable Gammon, and says he:

"Congress is the soul of the nation. Congress," says the Venerable Gammon, with fat benignity, "_is something like a wheel, whose spokes tend to tire_."

He said this remarkable thing in an overtowering way, my boy, and I felt myself to be a crushed infant before him.

Early in the week, I took my usual trip to Paris, and found Company 3, Regiment 5, Mackerel Brigade, making an advance from the further sh.o.r.e of Duck Lake, for sanitary reasons. It was believed to be detrimental to the health of the gay Mackerels to be so near a body of pure water, my boy, for they were not accustomed to the element.

"Thunder!" says the general, brus.h.i.+ng off a small bit of ice that had adhered to his nose, "they'll be drinking it next."

Captain Samyule Sa-mith was ordered to command the advance; but when he heard that the Southern Confederacy had two swivels over there, he was suddenly taken very sick, and cultivated his bed-clothes.

When the news of the serious illness of this valiant officer got abroad, my boy, there was an immediate rush of free and enterprising civilian chaps to his bedside.

One chap, who was an uncombed reporter for a discriminating and affectionate daily press, took me aside, and says he:

"Our paper has the largest circulation, and is the best advertising mejum in the United States. As soon as our brother-in-arms expires,"

says the useful chap, feelingly, "just fill up this printed form and send it to me, and I will mention you in our paper as a promising young man."