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
We air progressin pretty well with our drill. As all air commandin
offissers, there ain't no jelusy, and as we air all exceedin smart, it
t'aint worth while to try to outstrip each other. The idee of a company
composed excloosively of Commanders-in-Chiefs, orriggernated, I spose
I skurcely need say, in these Brane. Considered AS a idee, I flatter
myself it is putty hefty. We've got all the tackticks at our tongs'
ends, but what we particly excel in is restin muskits. We can rest
muskits with anybody.
Our corpse will do its dooty. We go to the aid of Columby--we fight for
the stars!
We'll be chopt into sassige meat before we'll exhibit our cote-tales to
the foe.
We'll fight till there's nothin left of us but our little toes and even
they shall defiantly wiggle!
"Ever of thee,"
A. Ward.
____________________
A WAR MEETING.
Our complaint just now is war meetin's. They've bin havin 'em bad in
varis parts of our cheerful Republic, and nat'rally we caught 'em here
in Baldinsville. They broke out all over us. They're better attended
than the Eclipse was.
I remember how people poured into our town last Spring to see the
Eclipse. They labored into a impression that they couldn't see it to
home, and so they cum up to our place. I cleared a very handsome amount
of money by exhibitin' the Eclipse to 'em, in an open-top tent. But the
crowds is bigger now. Posey County is aroused. I may say, indeed, that
the pra-hay-ories of Injianny is on fire.
Our big meetin' came off the other night, and our old friend of the
Bugle was elected Cheerman.
The Bugle-Horn of Liberty is one of Baldinsville's most eminentest
institootions. The advertisements are well-written, and the deaths and
marriages are conducted with signal ability. The editor, MR. SLINKERS,
is a polish'd, skarcastic writer. Folks in these parts will not soon
forgit how he used up the Eagle of Freedom, a family journal published
at Snootville, near here. The controversy was about a plank road.
"The road may be, as our cotemporary says, a humbug; but our aunt isn't
bald-heded, and we haven't got a one-eyed sister Sal! Wonder if the
Editor of the Eagle of Freedom sees it?" This used up the Eagle
of Freedom feller, because his aunt's head does present a skinn'd
appearance, and his sister SARAH is very much one-eyed. For a genteel
home-thrust, MR. SLINKERS has few ekals. He is a man of great pluck
likewise. He has a fierce nostril, and I believe upon my soul that if
it wasn't absolootly necessary for him to remain here and announce
in his paper, from week to week, that "our Gov'ment is about to take
vig'rous measures to put down the rebellion"--I b'lieve, upon my soul,
this illustris man would enlist as a Brigadier Gin'ral, and git his
Bounty.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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