Dooley, Mr. (Fictitious character) -- Fiction; Irish Americans -- Fiction
"We know what Wash'nton said to his gin'rals an' what Grant said
to Lee an' what Cleveland said to himsilf. They're in th' books.
But engraved in th' hearth iv his counthrymen is what Rosenfelt
said to th' throlley man. 'Twas good because 'twas so nachral.
Most iv th' sayin's I've read in books sounds as though they was
made be a patent inkybator. They go with a high hat an' a white
tie. Ye can hear th' noise iv th' phonygraft. But this here jim
of emotion an' thought come sthraight fr'm th' heart an' wint right
to th' heart. That's wan reason I think a lot iv us likes Tiddy
Rosenfelt that wudden't iver be suspicted iv votin' f'r him. Whin
he does anny talkin'--which he sometimes does--he talks at th' man
in front iv him. Ye don't hear him hollerin' at posterity.
Posterity don't begin to vote till afther th' polls close. So whin
he wished to convey to th' throlley man th' sintimints iv his bosom,
he done it in wurruds suited to th' crisis, as Hogan wud say. They
do say his remarks singed th' hair off th' head iv th' unforchnit
man.
"I don't believe in profanity, Hinnissy--not as a reg'lar thing.
But it has its uses an' its place. F'r instance, it is issintial
to some thrades. No man can be a printer without swearin'. 'Tis
impossible. I mind wanst I wint to a printin' office where a frind
iv mine be th' name iv Donovan held cases an' I heerd th' foreman
say: 'What gintleman is setting A thirty?' he says. 'I am,' says
a pale aristocrat with black whiskers who was atin' tobacco in th'
rear iv th' room. 'Thin,' says th' foreman, 'ye blankety-blank
blacksmith, get a move on ye. D'ye think this is a annyooal
incyclopejee?' he says. Ivrybody swore at ivrybody else. Th'
little boys runnin' around with type prattled innocent pro-fanity
an' afther awhile th' iditor come in an' he swore more thin annybody
else. But 'twas aisy to see he'd not lamed th' thrade iv printer.
He swore with th' enthusyasm an' inacc'racy iv an amachoor, though
I mus' say, he had his good pints. I wisht I cud raymimber what
it was he called th' Czar iv Rooshya f'r dyin' jus' as th' pa-aper
was goin' to press. I cud've often used it since. But it's slipped
me mind.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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