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
I hav no politics. Not a one. I'm not in the bisiness. If I was I
spose I should holler versiffrusly in the streets at nite and go home to
Betsy Jane smellen of coal ile and gin, in the mornin. I should go to
the Poles arly. I should stay there all day. I should see to it that
my nabers was thar. I should git carriges to take the kripples, the
infirm and the indignant thar. I should be on guard agin frauds and
sich. I should be on the look out for the infamus lise of the enemy,
got up jest be4 elecshun for perlitical effeck. When all was over and
my candydate was elected, I should move heving & erth so to speak until
I got orfice, which if I didn't git a orfice I should turn round and
abooze the Administration with all my mite and maine. But I'm not in
the bizniss. I'm in a far more respectful bizniss nor what pollertics
is. I wouldn't giv two cents to be a Congresser. The wuss insult I
ever received was when sertin citizens of Baldinsville axed me to run
fur the Legislater. Sez I, "My frends, dostest think I'd stoop to that
there?" They turned as white as a sheet. I spoke in my most orfullest
tones & they knowed I wasn't to be trifled with. They slunked out of
site to onct.
There4, havin no politics, I made bold to visit Old Abe at his humstid
in Springfield. I found the old feller in his parler, surrounded by a
perfeck swarm of orfice seekers. Knowin he had been capting of a flat
boat on the roarin Mississippy I thought I'd address him in sailor
lingo, so sez I, "Old Abe, ahoy! Let out yer main-suls, reef hum the
forecastle & throw yer jib-poop over-board! Shiver my timbers, my
harty!" [N.B. This is ginuine mariner langwidge. I know, becawz I've
seen sailor plays acted out by them New York theatre fellers.] Old
Abe lookt up quite cross & sez, "Send in yer petition by & by. I can't
possibly look at it now. Indeed, I can't. It's onpossible, sir!"
"Mr. Linkin, who do you spect I air?" sed I.
"A orfice-seeker, to be sure," sed he.
"Wall, sir," sed I, "you's never more mistaken in your life. You hain't
gut a orfiss I'd take under no circumstances. I'm A. Ward. Wax figgers
is my perfeshun. I'm the father of Twins, and they look like me both
of them. I cum to pay a friendly visit to the President eleck of the
United States. If so be you wants to see me, say so, if not, say so &
I'm orf like a jug handle."
"Mr. Ward, sit down. I am glad to see you, Sir."
"Repose in Abraham's Buzzum!" sed one of the orfice seekers, his idee
bein to git orf a goak at my expense.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
The Complete Works of Artemus Ward (HTML edition) — John Shaqi
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