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
Feller Sitterzens: I am in the Sheer & Yeller leaf. I shall peg out 1
of these dase. But while I do stop here I shall stay in the Union. I
know not what the supervizers of Baldinsville may conclude to do, but
for one, I shall stand by the Stars & Stripes. Under no circumstances
whatsomever will I sesesh. Let every Stait in the Union sesesh & let
Palmetter flags flote thicker nor shirts on Square Baxter's close line,
still will I stick to the good old flag. The country may go to the
devil, but I won't! And next Summer when I start out on my campane with
my Show, wharever I pitch my little tent, you shall see floatin prowdly
from the center pole thereof the Amerikan Flag, with nary a star wiped
out, nary a stripe less, but the same old flag that has allers flotid
thar! & the price of admishun will be the same it allers was--15 cents,
children half price.
Feller Sitterzens, I am dun. Accordinly I squatted.
____________________
WAX FIGURES VS. SHAKESPEARE.
ONTO THE WING----1859.
Mr. Editor:
I take my Pen in hand to inform yu that I'm in good helth and trust
these few lines will find yu injoyin the same blessins. I wood also
state that I'm now on the summir kampane. As the Poit sez--
ime erflote, ime erflote On the Swift rollin tied An the Rovir is
free. Bizness is scacely middlin, but Sirs I manige to pay for my foode
and raiment puncktooally and without no grumblin. The barked arrers of
slandur has bin leviled at the undersined moren onct sins heze bin into
the show bizness, but I make bold to say no man on this footstule kan
troothfully say I ever ronged him or eny of his folks. I'm travelin
with a tent, which is better nor hirin hauls. My show konsists of a
serious of wax works, snakes, a paneramy kalled a Grand Movin Diarea of
the War in the Crymear, komic songs and the Cangeroo, which larst
little cuss continners to konduct hisself in the most outrajus stile. I
started out with the idear of makin my show a grate Moral Entertainment,
but I'm kompeled to sware so much at that air infurnal Kangeroo that I'm
frade this desine will be flustratid to some extent. And while speakin
of morrality, remines me that sum folks turn up their nosis at shows
like mine, sayin they is low and not fit to be patrernized by peplpeple
of high degree. Sirs, I manetane that this is infernul nonsense.
I manetane that wax figgers is more elevatin than awl the plays ever
wroten. Take Shakespeer for instunse. Peple think heze grate things,
but I kontend heze quite the reverse to the kontrary. What sort of
sense is thare to King Leer, who goze round cussin his darters, chawin
hay and throin straw at folks, and larfin like a silly old koot and
makin a ass of hisself ginerally? Thare's Mrs. Mackbeth--sheze a nise
kind of woomon to have round ain't she, a puttin old Mack, her husband,
up to slayin Dunkan with a cheeze knife, while heze payin a frendly
visit to their house. O its hily morral, I spoze, when she larfs wildly
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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