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
This last remark is a sirkastic and witherin' thrust at them blotid
peple who live in gilded saloons. I tho't I'd explain my meanin' to
you. I frekently have to explain the meanin' of my remarks. I know one
man--and he's a man of varid 'complishments--who often reads my articles
over 20 times afore he can make anything of 'em at all. Our skoolmaster
to home says this is a pecoolerarity of geneyus. My wife says it is a
pecoolerarity of infernal nonsens. She's a exceedin' practycal woman.
I luv her muchly, however, and humer her little ways. It's a recklis
falshood that she henpecks me, and the young man in our neighborhood
who said to me one evenin', as I was mistenin' my diafram with a gentle
cocktail at the villige tavun--who said to me in these very langwidge,
"Go home, old man, onless you desires to have another teapot throwd at
you by B.J.," probly regrets havin said so.
I said, "Betsy Jane is my wife's front name, gentle yooth, and I permits
no person to alood to her as B.J. outside of the family circle, of
which I am it principally myself. Your other observations I scorn and
disgust, and I must pollish you off."
He was a able-bodied young man, and, remoovin his coat, he enquired if
I wanted to be ground to powder? I said, Yes: if there was a
Powder-grindist handy, nothin would 'ford me greater pleasure, when he
struck me a painful blow into my right eye, causin' me to make a rapid
retreat into the fireplace. I hadn't no idee that the enemy was so well
organized. But I rallied and went for him, in a rayther vigris style
for my time of life. His parunts lived near by, and I will simply state
15 minits had only elapst after the first act when he was carried home
on a shutter. His mama met the sollum procession at the door, and after
keerfully looking her orfspring over, she said: "My son, I see how it
is distinctually. You've been foolin' round a Trashin Masheen. You
went in at the place where they put the grain in, cum out with the
straw, and you got up into the thingamyjig, and let the horses tred on
you, didn't you, my son?" The pen of no liven Orthur could describe
that disfortnit young man's sittywation more clearer. But I was sorry
for him, and I went and nussed him till he got well. His reg'lar
original father being absent to the war, I told him I'd be a father to
him myself. He smilt a sickly smile, and said I'd already been wus than
two fathers to him.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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