17. XVII.
A COLORED MAN OF THE NAME OF JEFFRIES.
One beautiful day last August, Mr. Elmer,
of East Cleveland, sent his hired colored
man, of the name of Jeffries, to town
with a two-horse wagon to get a load of
lime. Mr. Elmer gave Jeffries $5 with
which to pay for the lime. The horses
were excellent ones, by the way, nicely
matched, and more than commonly fast.
The colored man of the name of Jeffries
came to town and drove to the Johnson
street Station, where he encountered a frail
young woman of the name of Jenkins, who
had just been released from Jail, where she
had been confined for naughtycal conduct
(drugging and robbing a sailor). “Will
you fly with me, adorable Jenkins?” he unto
her did say, “or words to that effect,” and
unto him in reply she did up and say: “My
African brother, I will. Spirit,” she continued,
alluding to a stone jug under the
seat in the wagon, “I follow!” Then into
the two-horse wagon this fair maiden got,
and
knavely telling the “perlice” to embark
by the first packet for an unromantic land,
where the climate is intensely Tropical, and
where even Laplanders, who like fire, get
more of a good thing than they want—
doing and saying thus the woman of the
name of Jenkins mounted the seat with the
colored man of the name of Jeffries; and
so these two sweet, gushing children of
Nature rode gaily away. Away towards
the setting sun. Away towards Indiana—
bright land of cheap whiskey and corn
doin's!
