The American Joe Miller: A Collection of Yankee Wit and Humor — John Shaqi
The American Joe Miller: A Collection of Yankee Wit and Humor
Philosophy
The American Joe Miller: A Collection of Yankee Wit and Humor
American wit and humor
One day, lately, a well-known gentleman in Philadelphia stepped
into a barber's shop, sat in a shaving-chair, drew a newspaper from
his pocket, and instructed the knight of the razor to take off his
beard. The barber was an African. He simply replied, "Yes, boss," and
produced his implements. The customer sat down. He was duly shaved.
His face was wiped; he arose, and donned his coat and hat. "How much?"
he asked, in a dolorous voice, as he adjusted his shirt-collar.
"Fifteen cents, boss." "Why, I thought you shaved for ten cents at
this shop." "Dat ar's de average, sah," was the reply. "Ten cents is
de price of a shave in dis yer shop. You come in here, sah, and read
the news of Sheridan's victory, and your face got about six inches
longer dan when yer come in. If your face was like it was afore you
read dat yar news ten cents was the price. When you commenced to read
about de defeat of Early, den your face stretched down about four
inches. Dat's what makes it wurf fifteen cents for der shave." The
customer couldn't restrain a grin, though he was a Copperhead, and the
hit at him was made by a "nigger." He paid the fee, and walked out. He
was one of those gentlemen who go their length upon M'Clellan, and who
of course shudder at every victory to the Union arms.
WHAT HE DID THE FIRST YEAR.--29.
In one of the courts at Hartford, Connecticut, recently, a woman
was testifying on behalf of her son, and swore that he had worked
on a farm ever since he was born. The lawyer who cross-examined her
said, "You assert that your son has worked on a farm ever since he
was born?" "I do." "What did he do the first year?" "He milked,"
she replied. The whole court laughed heartily, and the witness was
questioned no further.
THE LEARNED MEMBERS OF THE AMERICAN LEGISLATURE.--30.
A good story is told of the landlord of a hotel at Holly Springs,
Miss. It was a large fashionable hotel, and the landlord was a pompous
man, with a large corporosity and a ruffled shirt-bosom. Printed bills
of fare were provided, yet the landlord stood at the head of the table
at dinner and, in a loud voice, read off the list of articles in a
rhyming way--"Here's boiled ham, and raspberry jam; baked potatoes and
cooked tomatoes; turnips smashed and squashes _squashed_;" and so on.
Mr. M. asked him afterward why he read it aloud when printed copies
were on the table. "Force of habit," replied the landlord; "got so
used to it I can't help it. You see, I commenced business down here in
Jackson (the capital of Mississippi), and most of all the Legislature
boarded with me. There wasn't a man of 'em could read, so I had to
read the bill of fare to 'em."
A CANDID PARSON.--31.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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