A Parody Outline of History: Wherein May Be Found a Curiously Irreverent Treatment of American Historical Events, Imagining Them as They Would Be Narrated by America's Most Characteristic Contemporary AuthorsStewart, Donald Ogden
History
A Parody Outline of History: Wherein May Be Found a Curiously Irreverent Treatment of American Historical Events, Imagining Them as They Would Be Narrated by America's Most Characteristic Contemporary Authors
Stewart, Donald Ogden
Parodies; United States -- History -- Humor
It was two hundred years before Priscilla Kennicott definitely decided
that she could stand it no longer in heaven; it was another hundred
years before she located a desirable place on earth to return to.
She finally selected a small town in the American northwest, far from
the Puritan-tainted Plymouth; a small town in the midst of fields of
beautiful waving grain; a small town free from the artificiality of
large cities; a small town named Gopher Prairie.
She made known her desire to the manager; she said goodby to a small
group of friends who had gathered to see her off; she heard the sound
of the eternal harp playing and hymn singing grow gradually fainter and
fainter; she closed her eyes.
When she opened them again she found herself on Main Street in Gopher
Prairie.
X
From the "Heavenly Harp and Trumpet":
Mrs. Priscilla Kennicott, one of our most popular angels, left these
parts last Tuesday for an extended visit to the Earth. Mrs. K. confided
to Ye Editor that she would probably take up her residence in Gopher
Prairie, Minn., under the name of Carol Kennicott. The "Harp and
Trumpet" felicitates the citizens of Gopher Prairie on their acquisition
of a charming and up-to-date young matron whose absence will be keenly
regretted by her many friends in the heavenly younger married set. Good
luck, Priscilla!
XI
Heaven.
Five years later.
The monthly meeting of the Celestial Browning Club.
Seated in the chair reserved for the guest of honor, the manager.
The meeting opens as usual with a reading by Brother Robert Browning
of his poem "Pippa Passes"; as he proclaims that "God's in his heaven,
all's right with the world", the members applaud and the manager rises
and bows.
The chairman announces that "today we take up a subject in which I am
sure we are all extremely interested--the popular literature of the
United States".
The members listen to selected extracts from the writings of Gene
Stratton-Porter, Zane Grey, and Harold Bell Wright; at the conclusion
they applaud and the manager again bows.
"I am sure", says the chairman, "that we are all glad to hear that
things are going so nicely in the United States." (Applause.) "And now,
in conclusion, Brother Voltaire has requested permission to address us
for a few minutes, and I am sure that anything Brother Voltaire has to
say will be eminently worthwhile."
Brother Voltaire rises and announces that he has listened with interest
to the discussion of American literature; that he, too, rejoices that
all is well in this best of all possible United States; and that he
hopes they will pardon him if he supplements the program by reading
a few extracts from another extremely popular American book recently
published under the name of "Main Street".
XII
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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