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
I think i had rather hav a noze 7 inches and a half long, (in the
clear) than tew be the hansumest man in our county; for in the fust
case, i should work hard tew shorten mi nose bi some other good
qualitys, while in the other case, i probably should never be told by
my looking-glass that i was a phool.
THE LIVE MAN.
The _Live Man_ iz like the little pig; he iz weaned young, and begins
tew root arly.
He iz the pepper-sass ov creation--the all-spice ov the world.
One _Live Man_ in a village is like a case ov itch at a distrikt
skool--he sets evry boddy scratching a onst.
A man who kan draw New Orleans molasses in the month ov January, thru a
half inch augur-hole, and sing "Home! sweet home!" while the molasis iz
running, may be strictly honest, but he aint sudden enuff for this
climate.
The Live Man iz az full ov bizness az the conducter ov a street kar--he
iz often like a hornet, very bizzy, but about what, the Lord only
knows.
He lights up like a cotton faktory, and haint got enny more time tew
spare than a skool-boy has Saturday afternoons.
He is like a decoy duck, alwus above water, and lives at least 18
months each year.
He is like a runaway hoss; he gits the whole ov the road.
He trots when he walks, and lies down at night only bekauze everyboddy
else duz.
The live man is not always a deep thinker; he jumps at conclusions,
just as the frog duz, and don't alwus land at the spot he is looking
at.
He is the Amerikan pet, a perfekt mystery tew foreigners; but he has
done more (with charcoal) tew work out the greatness of this country
than any other man in it.
He is jist as necessary as the grease on an axle-tree.
He don't alwus die ritch, but alwus dies bizzy, and meets death a good
deal az an oyster duz, without making enny fuss.
THE NERVOUS MAN.
The nervous man is the original harp ov one thousand strings.
He is a fiddle, past finding out.
The tread ov an elephant don't skare him, but he wilteth when the mouse
nibbles in the wainscot.
He turneth pale at the coming ov the spider.
He laffeth when the whirlwind is on a bender, but shuddereth when the
striped snaik walks out for an airing.
He gazeth at the red lightning with joy, when it gasheth the heavens;
but the scales ov his back lift up in horrer when old Baxter files up
his wood-saw.
The nervous man is a very singular critter--he might more properly be
called a plural critter.
My advice tew the nervous man is tew drink milk for a living, and for
excitement chaw spruce gum.
XL.
JOSH BILLINGS AND THE LEKTUR COMMITTY.
Letters which pass from great men to great men are often wise to
owlishness, and so successfully discursive as to treat beautifully upon
everything but the point at "issoo."
SALT POINT, Feb. 0th, 1867.
J. BILLINGS, Esqr.:
I am instructed by our association to inquire ov you, and solicit a
reply, if you could read a discourse before our lyceum this winter, and
if so, at what time, on what subject, and upon what terms.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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