Josh Billings on Ice, and Other Things — John Shaqi
Josh Billings on Ice, and Other ThingsBillings, Josh
General
Josh Billings on Ice, and Other Things
Billings, Josh
American wit and humor
He rides on the box, once in a while, with the driver, and noboddy
thinks ov asking him for hiz stage fare.
He iz az useless az an extra pump would be in the desert ov Sarah.
He sprung from a respektable family; his great grandfather woz a
justiss ov the peace; but he has not got vanity enuff tew brag on it.
He ain't necessarily a phool, enny more than a bull's eye watch iz; if
enny boddy will wind him up, he will sett still, and run quietly down.
The _Stiff Man_ looks down, when he walks, upon folks. He don't seem
tew hav but one limber jinte in him, and that iz lokated in hiz noze.
He is a kind of maskuline turkey, on parade in a barn-yard.
He iz generally loaded with wisdum clear up tew the muzzell, and when
he goes oph, makes a noize like a cannon, but don't dew enny dammage.
I hav seen him fire into a crowd, and miss evry man.
This kind ov _stiff man_ iz verry handy tew flatter. They seem tew know
they ain't entitled tu a good artikle, and, tharefore, are satisfied
with hard soap.
Thare ain't but fu men who git stiff on what they acktually know, but
most aul ov them git stiff on what they acktually feel.
Stiff men are called aristokrats, but this ain't so. Thare ain't no
such thing as aristokrats in this country.
The country ain't long enuff yet, unless a man haz got sum Indian in
him.
Az a gen'ral thing, stiff men git mad dredful eazy, and have tew git
over it dredful eazy, bekauze folks ain't apt tew git a big skare at
what they ain't afraid ov.
_Stiff man_ had a grandfather once, who went tew Congress from our
distrikt, and thare ain't one in the whole family that hav been able
tew git limber sinse.
The _Model Man_ never disturbs a hen when she iz setting; never speaks
cross tew a lost dogg; always puts a five cent shinplaster in hiz vest
pockett late Saturday night, tew hav it ready Sunday morning for the
church platter; rizes whenever a lady enters the street kars; remembers
your uncle plainly, and asks after all the family. If he steps on a
kat's tail, is sure to do it light, and immegiately asks her pardon;
reads the PHUNNY PHELLOW, and laffs bekause he kan't help it; hooks up
hiz wife's dress, and plays hoss with the children. Never meddles with
the cream on the milk-pans; goes eazily of errands and cums back in
seazon; attends every boddy's phuneral; kan always tell when the moon
changes; thinks just az yu do, or the other way if you want him to;
follows evry boddy's advice but hiz own; praktices most ov the virtews
without knowing it; leads the life ov a shorn lamb; gits sick after a
while, and dies az soon az he kan, tew save making enny further
trubble.
The model man's vices are not feared, nor hiz virtews respekted. He
lives in the memory of the world just about az long az a pleasant day
duz.
He may be called a "clever feller," and that iz only a libel; but he
will git hiz reward herafter--when the birds get theirs.
IX.
HONESTA IZ THE BEST POLISY.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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