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
My young readers, who wish to know about Shakspeare, better get these
vallyable remarks framed.
I returned to the hotel. Meetin a young married couple, they asked
me if I could direct them to the hotel which Washington Irving used to
keep?
"I've understood that he was onsuccessful as a lan'lord," said the lady.
"We've understood," said the young man, "that he busted up."
I told 'em I was a stranger, and hurried away. They were from my
country, and ondoubtedly represented a thrifty Ile well somewhere in
Pennsylvany. It's a common thing, by the way, for a old farmer in
Pennsylvany to wake up some mornin' and find ile squirtin all around
his back yard. He sells out for 'normous price, and his children put on
gorgeous harness and start on a tower to astonish people. They succeed
in doin it. Meantime the Ile squirts and squirts, and Time rolls on.
Let it roll.
A very nice old town is Stratford, and a capital inn is the Red Horse.
Every admirer of the great S. must go there once certinly; and to say
one isn't a admirer of him, is equv'lent to sayin one has jest about
brains enough to become a efficient tinker.
Some kind person has sent me Chawcer's "poems." Mr. C. had talent, but
he couldn't spel. No man has a right to be a lit'rary man onless he
knows how to spel. It is a pity that Chawcer, who had geneyus, was so
unedicated. He's the wuss speller I know of.
I guess I'm through, and so I lay down the pen, which is more mightier
than the sword, but which I'm fraid would stand a rayther slim chance
beside the needle gun.
Adoo! Adoo!
Artemus Ward
_______________
V.
IS INTRODUCED AT THE CLUB.
MR. PUNCH, My dear Sir,--It is seldim that the Commercial relations
between Great Britain and the United States is mar'd by Games.
It is Commerce after all, which will keep the two countries friendly
to'ards each other rather than statesmen.
I look at your last Parliament, and I can't see that a single speech was
encored during the entire session.
Look at Congress--but no, I'd rather not look at Congress.
Entertainin this great regard for Commerce, "whose sales whiten every
sea," as everybody happily observes every chance he gets, I learn with
disgust and surprise that a British subjeck bo't a Barril of Apple
Sass in America recently, and when he arrove home he found under a few
deloosiv layers of sass nothin but sawdust. I should have instintly
gone into the City and called a meetin of the leadin commercial men
to condemn and repudiate, as a American, this gross frawd, if I hadn't
learned at the same time that the draft given by the British subjeck
in payment for this frawdylent sass was drawed onto a Bankin House in
London which doesn't have a existance, but far otherwise, and never did.
There is those who larf at these things, but to me they merit rebooks
and frowns.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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