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
As I sed, I manige my wife without any particler trouble. When I fust
commenst trainin' her I institooted a series of experiments, and them
as didn't work I abanding'd. You'd better do similer. Your wife may
objeck to gittin' up and bildin' the fire in the mornin', but if you
commence with her at once you may be able to overkum this prejoodiss.
I regret to obsarve that I didn't commence arly enuff. I wouldn't have
you s'pose I was ever kicked out of bed. Not at all. I simply say, in
regard to bildin' fires, that, I didn't commence arly enuff. It was a
ruther cold mornin' when I fust proposed the idee to Betsy. It wasn't
well received, and I found myself layin' on the floor putty suddent. I
thought I'd git up and bild the fire myself.
Of course now you're marrid you can eat onions. I allus did, and if I
know my own hart, I allus will. My daughter, who is goin' on 17 and is
frisky, says they's disgustin. And speaking of my daughter reminds me
that quite a number of young men have suddenly discovered that I'm a
very entertainin' old feller, and they visit us frekently, specially on
Sunday evenins. One young chap--a lawyer by habit--don't cum as much
as he did. My wife's father lives with us. His intelleck totters a
little, and he saves the papers containin' the proceedins of our State
Legislater. The old gen'l'man likes to read out loud, and he reads
tol'ble well. He eats hash freely, which makes his voice clear; but as
he onfortnitly has to spell the most of his words, I may say he reads
slow. Wall, whenever this lawyer made his appearance I would set the
old man a-reading the Legislativ' reports. I kept the young lawyer
up one night till 12 o'clock listenin to a lot of acts in regard to
a drawbridge away orf in the east part of the State, havin' sent my
daughter to bed at half-past 8. He hasn't bin there since, and I
understan' he says I go round swindlin' the Public.
I never attempted to reorganize my wife but onct. I shall never attempt
agin. I'd bin to a public dinner, and had allowed myself to be betrayed
into drinkin' several people's healths; and wishin' to make 'em as
robust as possible, I continnerd drinkin' their healths until my own
became affected. Consekens was, I presented myself at Betsy's bedside
late at night with consid'ble licker concealed about my person. I had
sumhow got perseshun of a hosswhip on my way home, and rememberin' sum
cranky observations of Mrs. Ward's in the mornin', I snapt the whip
putty lively, and in a very loud woice, I sed, "Betsy, you need
reorganizin'! I have cum, Betsy," I continued--crackin the whip over
the bed--"I have cum to reorganize you! Haave you per-ayed tonight?"
* * * * * * * *
I dream'd that sumbody had laid a hosswhip over me sev'ril conseckootiv
times; and when I woke up I found she had. I hain't drank much of
anythin' since, and if I ever have another reorganizin' job on hand I
shall let it out.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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