The Complete Works of Artemus Ward (HTML edition) — John Shaqi
The Complete Works of Artemus Ward (HTML edition)Ward, Artemus
General
The Complete Works of Artemus Ward (HTML edition)
Ward, Artemus
American wit and humor
"Oh now let us in, that's a sweet man," sed several femails, puttin
thare arms round me in luvin style. "Become 1 of us. Becum a Preest &
hav wives Sealed to you."
"Not a Seal!" sez I, startin back in horror at the idee.
"Oh stay, Sir, stay," sed a tell, gawnt femaile, ore whoos hed 37
summirs must hev parsd, "stay, & I'll be your Jentle Gazelle."
"Not ef I know it, you won't," sez I. "Awa you skanderlus femaile,
awa! Go & be a Nunnery!" That's what I sed, jes so.
"& I," sed a fat chunky femaile, who must hev wade more than too hundred
lbs, "I will be your sweet gidin Star!"
Sez I, "Ile bet two dollers and a half you won't!" Whare ear I may Rome
Ile still be troo 2 thee, Oh Betsy Jane! [N.B. Betsy Jane is my wife's
Sir naime.]
"Wiltist thou not tarry here in the promist Land?" sed several of the
miserabil critters.
"Ile see you all essenshally cussed be4 I wiltist!" roared I, as mad as
I cood be at thare infernul noncents. I girdid up my Lions & fled the
Seen. I packt up my duds & Left Salt Lake, which is a 2nd Soddum &
Germorrer, inhabitid by as theavin & onprincipled a set of retchis as
ever drew Breth in eny spot on the Globe.
____________________
THE PRESS.
I WANT the editors to cum to my Show free as the flours of May, but I
don't want um to ride a free hoss to deth. Thare is times when Patience
seizes to be virtoous. I hev "in my mind's eye, Hurrashio " (cotashun
from Hamlick) sum editers in a sertin town which shall be nameless, who
air Both sneakin and ornery. They cum in krowds to my Show and then axt
me ten sents a lines for Puffs. I objectid to payin, but they sed ef
I didn't down with the dust thay'd wipe my Show from the face of the
earth! Thay sed the Press was the Arkymedian Leaver which moved the
wurld. I put up to their extorshuns until thay'd bled me so I was a
meer shadder, and left in disgust.
It was in a surtin town in Virginny, the Muther of Presidents & things,
that I was shaimfully aboozed by a editor in human form. He set my Show
up steep & kalled me the urbane bane & gentlemunly manajer, but when I,
fur the purpuss of showin fair play all around, went to anuther offiss
to git my handbills printed, what duz this pussillanermus editer do but
change his toon & abooze me like a Injun. He sed my wax works was a
humbug & called me a horey-heded itinerent vagabone. I thort at fust
Ide pollish him orf ar-lar the Beneshy Boy, but on reflectin that he
cood pollish me much wuss in his paper, I giv it up. & I wood here
take occashun to advise peple when thay run agin, as thay sumtimes will,
these miserable papers, to not pay no attenshun to um. Abuv all, don't
assault a editer of this kind. It only gives him a note rosity, which
is jest what he wants, & don't do you no more good than it wood to jump
into enny other mud puddle. Editers are generally fine men, but there
must be black sheep in every flock.
____________________
EDWIN FOREST AS OTHELLO.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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