The Complete Works of Artemus Ward (HTML edition)Ward, Artemus
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The Complete Works of Artemus Ward (HTML edition)
Ward, Artemus
American wit and humor
London at last, and I'm stoppin at the Greenlion tavern. I like the
lan'lord very much indeed. He had fallen into a few triflin errers in
regard to America--he was under the impression, for instance, that we
et hay over there, and had horns growin out of the back part of our
heads--but his chops and beer is ekal to any I ever pertook. You must
cum and see me and bring the boys. I'm told that Garrick used to cum
here, but I'm growin skeptycal about Garrick's favorit taverns. I've
had over 500 public-houses pinted out to me where Garrick went. I was
indooced one night, by a seleck comp'ny of Britons, to visit sum 25
public-houses, and they confidentially told me that Garrick used to go
to each one of 'em. Also, Dr. Johnson. This won't do, you know.
May be I've rambled a bit in this communycation. I'll try and be more
collected in my next, and meanwhile, b'lieve me, Trooly Yours,
Artemus Ward
_______________
II.
PERSONAL RECOLLECTIONS.
You'll be glad to learn that I've made a good impression onto the mind
of the lan'lord of the Green Lion tavern. He made a speech about me
last night. Risin' in the bar he spoke as follers, there bein over
20 individooals present: "This North American has been a inmate of my
'ouse over two weeks, yit he hasn't made no attempt to scalp any member
of my fam'ly. He hasn't broke no cups or sassers, or furnitur of any
kind. ("Hear, hear.") I find I can trust him with lited candles. He
eats his wittles with a knife and a fork. People of this kind should be
encurridged. I purpose 'is 'elth!" ("Loud 'plaws.")
What could I do but modestly get up and express a fervint hope that
the Atlantic Cable would bind the two countries still more closely
together? The lan'lord said my speech was full of orig'nality, but his
idee was the old stage coach was more safer, and he tho't peple would
indors that opinyin in doo time.
I'm gettin' on exceedin' well in London. I see now, however, that I
made a mistake in orderin' my close afore I left home. The trooth is
the taler in our little villige owed me for a pig and I didn't see any
other way of gettin' my pay. Ten years ago these close would no doubt
have been fash'n'ble, and perhaps they would be ekally sim'lar ten years
hens. But now they're diff'rently. The taler said he know'd they was
all right, because he had a brother in Wales who kept him informed
about London fashins reg'lar. This was a infamus falsehood. But as the
ballud says (which I heard a gen'l'man in a new soot of black close and
white kid gloves sing t'other night), Never don't let us Despise a Man
because he wears a Raggid Coat! I don't know as we do, by the way, tho'
we gen'rally get out of his way pretty rapid; prob'ly on account of the
pity which tears our boosums for his onhappy condition.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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