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
The author ov this proverb waz either a very shrude man, or he
acksidentily spoke what he didn't think.
Honesta iz, in mi opinyun, a mere matter ov polisy.
Man iz, waz, and alwus will be, a dishonest critter by natur.
It iz az natral for him tew steal when he wants tew, az it iz tew blo
hiz noze.
In order tew git sosiety into decent shape, so that the masheen could
be run without a continual bust, it waz absolutely necessary that man
should make himself honest.
If that hadn't hav bin did, it wouldn't hav bin safe tew leave a
saw-mill out of doors after dark. Hence honesta bekum a matter ov
polisy, and it works well.
The fear ov the law here, and the law hereafter, haz furnished us sum
very clever specimens of Christianity.
Serpoze thare waz no law agin 2 wives, how menny men iz thare in yure
naberhood, that wouldn't sustain the law?
I hav thought that aul the virtues, and aul the affekskuns, (except the
few which are instinkts, and which we and the dogs have just about
alike,) are mere opprashuns of polisy.
Ov course the virtews improve by hoeing, and mankind haz bekum better,
just az they hav bekum richer, by keeping their munny and morals at 10
per cent. interest.
Menny folks are down on luxurys, and plum puddin, but i aint; the more
puddin folks hav, the more they will develop.
Stop the hanker in human natur for any more plum puddin, and nu
bonnets, and in about 450 years, men and wimmin would all go tew grass,
az Nebucunesser did.
Once more, honesta and virtew, in the lump, are not natral, but matters
ov polisy; i may be wrong about this, but if i am, enny boddy else kan
git wrong the same way i hav, by asking himself about hiz own human
natur.
Human natur iz the same aul over north amerika, except in those places
whare they subsist by playing poker, and thare it depends a good deal
upon the number of aces in a pack; i hav seen sum packs that had 9 aces
in them, upon the principle that 5 aces will beat 4 aces and a king.
X.
GREAT AGRIKULTURAL HOSS-TROTT.
AT BILLINGSVILLE.
_Oct. 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, & 20th._
JOSH BILLINGS, REPORTER.
Agrikultur iz the mother ov provisions; she iz also the grandmother.
If it want for agricultur, thare wouldn't be enny beans, and if it want
for enny beans, thare wouldn't be enny suckertash.
Agrikultur waz fust diskovered by Cain, and has been diskovered since
to be an honest way to get a hard living.
Pumpkins owes aul her success tew agrikultur, so duz lettis, and
bukwheat.
The Billingsville agrikultural society opened Oct. ten, and waz a
powerful success.
The reciepts ov the Agrikultural Fair waz upwards ov $30,000 (if mi
memry serves me rite, and i think she duz.)
The Hon. Virgil Bickerstaff, the next agrikultural member ov Congress
from our district, sold the agrikultur pools.
FUST DAY.
A puss ov ten dollars was trotted for by sucking colts, that had never
trotted before for munny.
Thare waz thirteen entries.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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