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
Rev. G. D. ----, of Fayetteville, Ark., one of the genuine
"forest-born" orators, preaching not long since on "the glory of the
saints," delivered the following burst of native eloquence, which is
too good to be lost:--"Who, my bretherin, can describe the glory of
the saints? Why, nothing on earth can liken it. Ef you drill a hole in
the sun and put it on your head for a crown, and split the moon, and
put it on your shoulders for epaulettes--if you tear down the starry
curtain of the skies and wrap it round your body for a robe, and ride
to Heaven on the lightning wings of the tempest--this will be as
nothing compared to the glory of the saints."
HEN PERSUADERS.--183.
The _Springfield Republican_ speaks of a new invention for a hen's
nest, whereby the eggs drop through a trap-door, and so deceives the
hen that she keeps on laying until she has laid herself all away.
POPPING THE QUESTION.--184.
One evening as I was a-sittin' by my Hetty, and had worked myself
up to the stickin' pint, sez I, "Hetty, if a fellar was to ask you
to marry him, what wud you say?" Then she laughed, and sez she,
"That would depend on who asked me." Then sez I, "Suppose it was Ned
Willis?" Sez she, "I'd tell Ned Willis, but not you." That kinder
staggered me; but I was too cute to lose the opportunity, and so sez
I again, "Suppose it was me?" And then you orter see her pout up her
lip, and says she, "I don't take no supposes." Wall, now, you see
there was nothin' for me to do but touch the gun off. So bang it went.
Sez I, "Wall, Hetty, it's me; won't you say yes?" And then there was
such a hulloballoo in my head, I don't know exactly what tuk place,
but I thought I heerd a 'yes' whisperin' somewhere out of the skirmish.
NEGRO SERMON.--185.
"There are," said a sable orator, addressing his brethren, "two
roads tro dis world--the one am broad and narrow road, that leads
to perdition; and the oder a narrow and a broad road, that leads to
destruction." "What i' dat?" said one hearer. "Say it again." "I say,
my brethren, there are two roads tro dis world--the one am a broad
and narrow road, that leads to perdition; the oder a narrow and broad
road, that leads to destruction." "If dat am the case," said his sable
questioner, "dis elluded individual takes to de woods."
GRANDPA'S SPECTACLES.--186.
"There now," cried a little girl, while rummaging a drawer in a
bureau; "there now, grandpa has gone to Heaven without his spectacles.
What will he do?" And shortly afterward, when another aged relative
was supposed to be sick unto death in the house, she came running to
his bedside, with the glasses in her hand, and an errand on her lips:
"You goin' to die?" "They tell me so." "Goin' to Heaven?" "I hope so."
"Well, here are grandpa's spectacles--won't you take them to him?"
TREMENDOUS GALE.--187.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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