The Complete Works of Artemus Ward — Part 1: Essays, Sketches, and LettersWard, Artemus
General
The Complete Works of Artemus Ward — Part 1: Essays, Sketches, and Letters
Ward, Artemus
American wit and humor
I had now histed in as big a load of pervishuns as I could carry
comfortable, and, leanin back in my cheer, commenst pickin my
teeth with a fork. The female went out, leavin me all alone with
the clock. I hadn't sot thar long before the Elder poked his hed
in at the door. "You're a man of sin!" he sed, and groaned and
went away.
Direckly thar cum in two young Shakeresses, as putty and slick
lookin gals as I ever met. It is troo they was drest in meal
bags like the old one I'd met previsly, and their shiny, silky
har was hid from sight by long white caps, sich as I spose female
Josts wear; but their eyes sparkled like diminds, their cheeks
was like roses, and they was charmin enuff to make a man throw
stuns at his granmother if they axed him to. They comenst
clearin away the dishes, castin shy glances at me all the time.
I got excited. I forgot Betsy Jane in my rapter, and sez I, "my
pretty dears, how air you?"
"We air well," they solumly sed.
"Whar's the old man?" sed I, in a soft voice.
"Of whom dost thow speak--Brother Uriah?"
"I mean the gay and festiv cuss who calls me a man of sin.
Shouldn't wonder if his name was Uriah."
"He has retired."
"Wall, my pretty dears," sez I, "let's have sum fun. Let's play
puss in the corner. What say?"
"Air you a Shaker, sir?" they axed.
"Wall my pretty dears, I haven't arrayed my proud form in a long
weskit yit, but if they was all like you perhaps I'd jine 'em.
As it is, I'm a Shaker pro-temporary."
They was full of fun. I seed that at fust, only they was a
leetle skeery. I tawt 'em Puss in the corner and sich like plase,
and we had a nice time, keepin quiet of course so the old man
shouldn't hear. When we broke up, sez I, "my pretty dears, ear I
go you hav no objections, hav you, to a innersent kiss at
partin?"
"Yay," they said, and I YAY'D.
I went up stairs to bed. I spose I'd bin snoozin half an hour
when I was woke up by a noise at the door. I sot up in bed,
leanin on my elbers and rubbin my eyes, and I saw the follerin
picter: The Elder stood in the doorway, with a taller candle in
his hand. He hadn't no wearin appeerel on except his night
close, which flutterd in the breeze like a Seseshun flag. He sed,
"You're a man of sin!" then groaned and went away.
I went to sleep agin, and drempt of runnin orf with the pretty
little Shakeresses mounted on my Californy Bar. I thawt the Bar
insisted on steerin strate for my dooryard in Baldinsville and
that Betsy Jane cum out and giv us a warm recepshun with a
panfull of Bilin water. I was woke up arly by the Elder. He
said refreshments was reddy for me down stairs. Then sayin I was
a man of sin, he went groanin away.
As I was goin threw the entry to the room where the vittles was,
I cum across the Elder and the old female I'd met the night
before, and what d'ye spose they was up to? Huggin and kissin
like young lovers in their gushingist state. Sez I, "my Shaker
friends, I reckon you'd better suspend the rules and git
married."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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