THE BIGLOW PAPERS. No. I. A LETTER FROM MR. EZEKIEL BIGLOW OF JAALAM TO THE HON. JOSEPH T. BUCKINGHAM, EDITOR OF THE BOSTON COURIER, INCLOSING A POEM OF HIS SON, MR. HOSEA BIGLOW. JAYLEM, june 1846. MISTER EDDYTER :-Our Hosea wuz down to Boston last week, and he see a cruetin Sarjunt a struttin round as popler as a hen with 1 chicking, with 2 fellers a drummin and fifin arter him like all nater. the sarjunt he thout Hosea hedn't gut his i teeth cut cos he looked a kindo's though he'd jest com down, so he cal'lated to hook him in, but Hosy woodn't take none o' his sarse for all he hed much as 20 Rooster's tales stuck onto his hat and eenamost enuf brass a bobbin up and down on his shoulders and figureed onto his coat and trousis, let alone wut nater hed sot in his featers, to make a 6 pounder out on. * wal, Hosea he com home considerabal riled, and arter I'd gone to bed I heern Him a thrashin round like a short-tailed Bull in fli-time. The old Woman ses she to me ses she, Zekle, ses she, our Hosee's gut the chollery or suthin another ses she, don't you Bee skeered, ses I, he's oney amakin pottery ses i, he's ollers on hand at that ere busynes like Da & martin, and shure enuf, cum mornin, Hosy he cum down stares full chizzle, hare on eend and cote tales flyin, and sot rite of to go reed his varses to Parson Wilbur bein he haint aney grate shows o' book larnin himself, bimeby he cum back and sed the parson wuz dreffle tickled with 'em as I hoop you will Be, and said they wuz True grit. Hosea ses taint hardly fair to call 'em hisn now, cos the Aut insanit, aut versos fucit.-II. W. parse 피 kind 'o slicked off sum o' the last varses, but he told Hosee he didnt want to put his ore in to tetch to the Rest on 'em, bein they wuz verry well As thay wuz, and then Hosy ses he sed suthin a nuther about Simplex Mundishes or sum sech feller, but I guess Hosea kind o' didn't hear him, for I never hearn o' nobody o' that name in this villadge, and I've lived here man and boy 76 year cum next tatur digging, and thar aint nowheres a kitting spryer'n I be. If you print 'em I wish you'd jest let folks know who hosy's father is, cos my ant Keziah used to say it's nater to be curus ses she, she aint livin though and he's a likely kind o' lad. EZEKIEL BIGLOW. THRASH away, you'll hev to rattie Thet is ketched with mouldy corn; Let folk see how spry you be,- Thet air flag's a leetle rotten, Hope it aint your Sunday's best ;- Ef you must wear humps like these, "Twouldn't suit them Southun fellers, O' them nigger-drivin' States. Them thet rule us, them slave-traders, Haint they cut a thunderin' swarth, (Helped by Yankee renegaders,) Thru the vartu o' the North! To take sarse an' not be riled;- Ez fer war, I call it murder,- Than my Testyment fer that; "Taint your eppyletts an' feathers This 'ere cuttin' folks's throats. They may talk o' Freedom's airy Fer the barthrights of our race; Aint it cute to see a Yankee Tell ye jest the eend I've come to Any gump could larn by heart; 'Taint by turnin' out to hack folks; "Taint the hide thet makes it wus, All it keers fer in a feller 'S jest to make him fill its pus. Want to tackle me in, du ye? I expect you'll hev to wait; 'Spose the crows wun't fall to pickin' Jest go home an' ask our Nancy Take them editors thet's crowin' Like a cockerel three months old,Don't ketch any on 'em goin', Though they be so blasted bold; Aint they a prime lot o' fellers? 'Fore they think on't they will sprout, (Like a peach thet's got the yellers,) With the meanness bustin' out. Wal, go 'long to help 'em stealin' Massachusetts, God forgive her, Wile the wracks are round her hurled, Holdin' up a beacon peerless To the oppressed of all the world! Haint they sold your colored seamen? Come, I'll tell ye wut I'm thinkin' Is our dooty in this fix, They'd ha' done 't ez quick ez winkin' Clang the bells in every steeple, Call all true men to disown : |