Jeffersonian Republican

Blitz and the Darkies.

Blitz! The very name is synonymous with witchcraft and roguery. What a twang of jugglery there is in its very pronunciation: presto, change—magical words in themselves are no more identified with miraculous deeds, than that of Blitz. He is the prince of conjurors; and adds to his wonderful dexterity at legerdemain, that most remarkable power of the human voice known as ventriloquism. Blitz is an arrant joker, and loves to carry out a practical piece of fun. For some weeks past he has been frightening the market men in Philadelphia, by causing their dead poultry and dressed pigs to talk all sorts of stuff, and to make formal complaint at the untimely end to which they had been brought. One butcher, after throwing half a dozen turkeys into the street, because they would gobble, though they were as dead as a door nail, was saluted with a tremendous grunt from a young pig that he was offering for sale, all cleaned and dressed for the table. Frightened half out of his wits, the market man fairly 'cut stick,' nor would he come back again until piggy had been removed.

But the naughtiest thing that Blitz ever did was to disturb a negro meeting, some years ago, in Belknap street, Boston. The story is not generally known, as it would perhaps have led to some personal trouble to him, had it been represented to the authorities.

All Boston knows, or has heard of the negro preacher, Father Snowden, who held forth to his 'cullered bredderen' in Belknap street, for so many years. It was a quiet summer's afternoon, when the house was pretty well filled—there being a revival of religion going on among the 'gemmen ob color'—when Blitz, with some other white persons (albeit he is himself as dark as a mulatto, and has 'curly hair' to boot,) entered the house. It was pretty warm weather, and consequently the effluvia was not a little offensive to senses polite ; but this went on nicely enough, until the minister had got warmed in his subject, and was using words almost too long for a common sized dictionary, when Blitz thought it was time to do something.

'And the Lord said unto Moses—

Bow-wow-wow !' came apparently from behind the speaker.

The congregation looked each other in the face with countenances darker than ever, while the minister, after looking under his feet and behind himself, seemed to come to the conclusion that the noise had proceeded from the street, and so he commenced again:

'And the Lord said unto Moses—

Stand from under :' cried a voice, apparently at the top of the house.

The startled congregation rolled up the big whites of their eyes to the ceiling in amazement, while the minister drew suddenly to one side, expected something was coming down. But after a moment's pause all seemed quiet, and so Mr. Snowden resumed:

'And the Lord said unto Moses—'

'Ain't you ashamed of yourself?—take your hands off of me!' said a voice proceeding apparently from a very neat mulatto girl, who sat in the front pew and upon which all eyes were now turned.

'I didn't touch yer,' said the man next to her, in amazement.

Some smiled and said, Sam Johnsing ought to be ashamed of hisself, to act so in meetin',' and the minister frowned upon him in a way that would have thawed a snow-ball outright, after which Mr. Snowden attempted once more to resume his remarks.

'And the Lord said unto Moses—

Well, what did he say,' came, seemingly, from the big lips of an attentive listener in the side aisle.

The minister was astounded. He looked at the man as though his boldness had electrified him, while some of the congregation began to think that, under the circumstance, the inquiry was a very natural and appropriate one. As to the minister himself, he was a little vexed now, and repeated with emphasis :

'And the Lord said unto Moses—

Fire, fire!' roared a voice, which seemed to come from the entrance of the house, with startling earnestness.

This was too much to bear tamely. Even the minister rushed to the door, and the affrighted women screamed like mad, as they huddled and pushed each other out of the pews and down the aisles. Bonnets suffered some on the occasion, and when all had got fairly out, they looked up to the top of the meeting house, patiently awaiting to see the flames burst through the slated roof ?

And there Blitz left them standing, their eyes rolled heavenward, and parson Snowden in a brown study.