Irish Americans -- Humor; Irish-American wit and humor
“'Twill be a gr-reat occasion, Hinnissy, an' be-dad I'd like to be
there to see it. Ye can't go too sthrong again' th' Chinee. Me frind th'
impror iv Germany put it right. 'Brave boys,' says he, 'ye ar-re goin'
out now,' he says, 'f'r to carry th' light iv Christyanity,' he says,
'an' th' teachin's iv th' German Michael,' he says, 'to th' benighted
haythen beyant,' he says. 'Me an' Mike is watchin' ye' he says, 'an' we
ixpict ye to do ye'er duty,' he says. 'Through you,' he says, 'I propose
to smash th' vile Chinee with me mailed fist,' he says. 'This is no
six-ounce glove fight, but demands a lunch-hook done up in eight-inch
armor plate,' he says. 'Whin ye get among th' Chinee,' he says,
'raymimber that ye ar-re the van guard iv Christyanity,' he says, 'an'
stick ye'er baynet through ivry hated infidel ye see,' he says. 'Lave
thim undherstand what our westhren civilization means,' he says, 'an'
prod thim good an' hard,' he says. 'Open their heads with ye'er good
German swords to Eu-ropyan culture an' refinement,' he says. 'Spare no
man that wears a pigtail,' he says. 'An,' he says, 'me an' th' German
Michael will smile on ye as ye kick th' linin' out iv th' dhragon an'
plant on th' walls iv Peking th' banner,' he says, 'iv th' cross, an','
he says, 'th' double cross,' he says. 'An' if be chance ye shud pick up
a little land be th' way, don't lave e'er a Frinchman or Rooshan take
it fr'm ye, or ye'll feel me specyal delivery hand on th' back iv ye'er
neck in a way that'll do ye no kind iv good. Hock German Michael,' he
says, 'hock me gran'father, hoch th' penny postage fist,' he says, 'hock
mesilf,' he says. An th' German impror wint back to his bedroom f'r to
wurruk on th' book he's goin' to br-ring out nex' year to take th' place
iv th' bible.
“He's th' boy f'r me money. Whin th' German throops takes their part
in th' desthruction iv Peking they'll be none iv th' allied foorces 'll
stick deeper or throw th' backbone iv th' impress' ol' father higher
thin th' la-ads fr'm th' home iv th' sausage. I hope th' cillybration
'll occur on Chris'mas day. I'd like to hear th' sojers singin' 'Gawd
r-rest ye, merry Chinnymen' as they punchered thim with a baynit.”
“'Twill be a good thing,” said Mr. Hennessy.
“It will that,” said Mr. Dooley.
“'Twill civilize th' Chinnymen,” said Mr. Hennessy.
“'Twill civilize thim stiff,” said Mr. Dooley. “An' it may not be a bad
thing f'r th' r-rest iv th' wurruld. Perhaps contack with th' Chinee may
civlize th' Germans.”
PLATFORM MAKING
“That sthrikes me as a gran' platform,” said Mr. Hennessy. “I'm with it
fr'm start to finish.”
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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