Josh Billings on Ice, and Other ThingsBillings, Josh
General
Josh Billings on Ice, and Other Things
Billings, Josh
American wit and humor
But chiefly, never want ennything; for thus you giv tung tew yure
poverty.
Menny a man haz died rich, and ben kalled wize, by simply holding hiz
tung.
When you are asked tew admirate an equipage, dew it warmly, but suggest
that you never indulge in horses, on akount ov their liability tew
glanders.
If you are poor, ask Alexander tew stand out ov your sunshine. If you
are rich, ask him tew stand in it.
Dew not envy ennything on arth, not even a man's virtues, for them you
kan git az well az he.
Talk familiarly ov wealth--deceave every one but yourself.
Never show the world mutch ov yure hart; keep that for Him who made it,
and knose its impulses.
N.B.--This philosophee has made the Billings family what they am.
LVIII.
AMERIKANS.
Amerikans love caustick things; they would prefer turpentine tew
colone-water, if they had tew drink either.
So with their relish of humor; they must hav it on the half-shell with
cayenne.
An Englishman wants hiz fun smothered deep in mint sauce, and he iz
willin tew wait till next day before he tastes it.
If you tickle or convince an Amerikan yu hav got tew do it quick.
An Amerikan luvs tew laff, but he don't luv tew make a bizzness ov it;
he works, eats, and haw-haws on a canter.
I guess the English hav more wit, and the Amerikans more humor.
We havn't had time, yet, tew bile down our humor and git the wit out ov
it.
The English are better punsters, but i konsider punning a sort ov
literary prostitushun in which futur happynesz iz swopped oph for the
plezzure ov the moment.
Thare iz one thing i hav noticed: evryboddy that writes expeckts tew be
wize or witty--so duz evrybody expect tew be saved when they die; but
thare iz good reason tew beleave that the goats hereafter will be in
the majority, just az the sheep are here.
Don't forget _one_ thing, yu hav got tew be wize before yu kan be
witty; and don't forget _two_ things, a single paragraff haz made sum
men immortal, while a volume haz bin wuss than a pile-driver tew
others--but what would Amerikans dew if it want for their sensashuns?
Sumthing new, sumthing startling iz necessary for us az a people, and
it don't make mutch matter what it iz--a huge defalkashun--a red
elephant--or Jersee clams with pearls in them will answer if nothing
better offers.
Englishmen all laff at us for our sensashuns, and sum ov them fret
about it, and spred their feathers in distress for us, az a fond and
foolish old hen, who haz hatched out a setting ov ducks' eggs, will
stand on the banks ov a mill pond, wringing her hands in agony to see
her brood pitch in and take a sail. _She_ kant understand it, but the
_Ducks_ know awl about it.
N.B.--Yu kan bet 50 dollars the Ducks know all about it.
N.B.--Yu kan bet 50 dollars more that it makes no difference who
hatches out an Amerikan, the fust thing he will do, iz to pitch into
sumthin.
N.B.--No more bets at present.
LIX.
JOSH CLEANS OUT HIS PIGEON-HOLE OF CORRESPONDENTS.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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