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
A son of the Emerald Isle, but not himself green, was taken up (for
he was at the time down) near a rebel encampment not far from the
Manassas Junction. In a word, Pat was taking a quiet nap in the
shade, and was roused from his slumbers by a scouting party. He wore
no special uniform of either army, but looked more like a spy than
an alligator, and on this he was arrested. "Who are you?" "What is
your name?" and "Where are you from?" were the first questions put to
him by the armed party. Pat rubbed his eyes, scratched his head, and
answered: "By my faith, gintlemen, them is ugly questions to answer
any how; and before I answer any of them, I'd be after axin you, by
yer lave, the same thing." "Well," said the leader, "We are of Scott's
army, and belong to Washington." "All right," said Pat; "I know'd
ye was gintlemen, for I am the same. Long life to Gineral Scott!"
"Aha!" replied the scout, "now, you rascal, you are our prisoner," and
seized him by the shoulder. "How is that?" inquired Pat; "are we not
friends?" "No," was the answer; "we belong to General Beauregard's
army." "Then you told me a lie, me boys; and thinking it might be so,
I told you another. Now, tell me the truth, and I'll tell the truth
too." "Well, we belong to the State of South Carolina." "So do I,"
promptly responded Pat, "and to all the other States of the country
too; and there I'm thinking I bate the whole of ye. Do you think I
would come all the way from Ireland to belong to one State, when I had
a right to belong to the whole of 'em?"
MIXING THE BABIES.--85.
Patrick Lyon, an Irishman, and Hans Heidelbrooke, a German, and their
families, both occupy one house in Cincinnati. Some nights since the
families of both were increased, Pat's wife presenting him with
twins, and Hans' wife presenting him with one, all girls. The nurse
being desirous of contemplating the relative beauties of the little
cherubs, with the hopes of finding out if there is any difference
between a youthful Teuton and a cherub of Erin, got them so hopelessly
mixed that it was impossible to distinguish "tother from which." Here
was a terrible state of affairs. But the mother wit of the Irishwoman
solved the difficulty. She was entitled to two of the children any
how, and two she would take, and if either of them when grown up
should talk Dutch she would repudiate its paternity and lay claim to
the third. The Dutch woman coincided with the idea, and clasped to her
bosom the remaining child, resolved to watch for the first indication
of the brogue that might change her parental love to unmitigated
disgust.
DANIEL WEBSTER AND WILLIAM WIRT.--86.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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