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
Have you heard of the Bowery boy who, being cut short in a hard
life by a sore disease which quickly brought him to death's door,
was informed by his physician that medicine could do nothing for
him. "What's my chances, doctor?"--"Not worth speaking of." "One in
twenty?"--"Oh, no." "In thirty?"--"No." "Fifty?"--"I think not." "A
hundred?"--"Well, perhaps there may be one in a hundred." "I say,
then, doctor," pulling him close down, and whispering with feeble
earnestness in his ear, "jest go in like all thunder on that one
chance." The doctor "went in," and the patient recovered.
SETTING THE TIME.--576.
A close-fisted old farmer had a likely daughter, whose opening charms
attracted the attention of a certain young man. After some little
manoeuvring, he ventured to open a courtship. On the first night of
his appearance in the parlour, the old man, after dozing in his chair
until nine o'clock, arose, and putting a log of wood on the fire, said
as he left the room, "There, Nancy, when that log of wood burns out it
is time for James to go home."
REMARKABLY SOCIABLE.--577.
Governor Powell, of Kentucky, was once a great favourite. He never
was an orator, but his conversational, story-telling, and social
qualities were remarkable. His great forte lay in establishing a
personal intimacy with every one he met, and in this he was powerful
in electioneering. He chewed immense quantities of tobacco, but never
carried the weed himself, and was always begging it from every one
he met. His residence was in Henderson, and in coming up the Ohio,
past that place, I overheard the following characteristic anecdote
of Lazarus:--A citizen of Henderson coming on board, fell into
conversation with a passenger, who made some inquiries about Powell.
"Lives in your place, I believe, don't he?"--"Yes; one of our oldest
citizens." "Very sociable man, ain't he?"--"Remarkably so." "Well, I
thought so. I think he is one of the most sociable men I ever met in
all my life. Wonderfully sociable! I was introduced to him over at
Grayson Springs, last summer, and he hadn't been with me ten minutes
when he begged all the tobacco I had, got his feet up in my lap, and
spit all over me! Re-mark-a-bly sociable!"
THE HOUSE THAT JEFF. BUILT.--578.
The _Hartford Post_ says:--
The following history of the celebrated edifice erected by J. Davis,
Esq., is authentic. It was written for the purpose of giving infant
politicians a clear, concise, and truthful description of the
habitation, and the fortunes, and misfortunes, and doings of the
inmates:--
I. THE SOUTHERN CONFEDERACY.--That is the house that Jeff.
built.
II. THE ETHIOPIAN.--This is the malt that lay in the house
that Jeff. built.
III. THE UNDERGROUND RAILROAD.--This is the rat that eat the
malt that lay in the house that Jeff. built.
IV. THE FUGITIVE SLAVE LAW.--This is the cat that killed the
rat that eat the malt that lay in the house that Jeff. built.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account