Irish Americans -- Humor; Irish-American wit and humor
“Well,” Mr. Dooley continued, “I was on'y goin' to say, Hinnissy, that
in spite iv me hathred iv George as a man--a marrid man--an' me contimpt
f'r his qualities as a fighter, in spite iv th' chickens he has stole
an' the notes he has forged an' th' homes he has rooned, if he was
to come r-runnin' up Archey road, as he might, pursooed be ladies an'
gintlemen an' th' palajeem iv our liberties peltin him with rotten eggs
an' ol' cats, I'd open th' dure f'r him, an' whin he come in I'd put me
fut behind it an' I'd say to th' grateful people: 'Fellow-citizens,' I'd
say, 'lave us,' I'd say. 'They'se another hero down in Halstead Sthreet
that's been marrid. Go down an' shivaree him. An' you, me thrusted
collagues iv th' press, disperse to ye'er homes,' I'd say. 'Th' keyholes
is closed f'r th' night, I'd say. An' thin I'd bolt th' dure an' I'd
say, 'George, take off ye'er coat an' pull up to th' fire. Here's a
noggin' iv whisky near ye'er thumb an' a good seegar f'r ye to smoke.
I'm no hero-worshiper. I'm too old. But I know a man whin I see wan, an'
though we cudden't come out an' help ye whin th' subscription list wint
wild, be sure we think as much iv ye as we did whin ye'er name was first
mintioned be th' stanch an' faithful press. Set here, ol' la-ad, an'
warrum ye'er toes by th' fire. Set here an' r-rest fr'm th' gratichood
iv ye'er fellow-counthrymen, that, as Shakspere says, biteth like an
asp an' stingeth like an adder. R-rest here, as ye might r-rest at th'
hearth iv millyons iv people that cud give ye no house but their own!”
“I dinnaw about that,” said Mr. Hennessy. “I like Dewey, but I think he
oughtn't to've give away th' gift iv th' nation.”
“Well,” said Mr. Dooley, “if 'twas a crime f'r an American citizen to
have his property in his wife's name they'd be close quarthers in th'
pinitinchry.”
MARRIAGE AND POLITICS
“I see,” said Mr. Hennessy, “that wan iv thim New York joods says a man
in pollytics oughtn't to be marrid.”
“Oh, does he?” said Mr. Dooley.
“Well, 'tis little he knows about it. A man in pollytics has got to be
marrid. If he ain't marrid where'll he go f'r another kind iv throuble?
An' where'll he find people to support? An unmarrid man don't get along
in pollytics because he don't need th' money. Whin he's in th' middle iv
a prim'ry, with maybe twinty or thirty iv th' opposite party on top
iv him, thinks he to himsilf: 'What's th' good iv fightin' f'r a job?
They'se no wan depindant on me f'r support,' an' he surrinders. But a
marrid man says: 'What'll happen to me wife an' twelve small childher if
I don't win out here today?' an' he bites his way to th' top iv th' pile
an' breaks open th' ballot box f'r home and fireside. That's th' thruth
iv it, Hinnissy. Ye'll find all th' big jobs held be marrid men an' all
th' timpry clerkships be bachelors.”
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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