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
"That's so. But you'll get into a warmer one by and by if you
don't mind your own bizness better." I was a little riled at
the feller, because I never take anythin only when I'm onwell.
I arterwards learned he was a temperance lecturer, and if he
can injuce men to stop settin their inards on fire with the
frightful licker which is retailed round the country, I shall
hartily rejoice. Better give men Prusick Assid to onct, than
to pizen 'em to deth by degrees.
At Albion I met with overwhelmin success. The celebrated
Albion Female Semenary is located here, & there air over 300
young ladies in the Institushun, pretty enough to eat without
seasonin or sass. The young ladies was very kind to me,
volunteerin to pin my handbills onto the backs of their
dresses. It was a surblime site to see over 300 young ladies
goin round with a advertisement of A. Ward's onparaleld show,
conspickusly posted onto their dresses.
They've got a Panick up this way and refooze to take Western
money. It never was worth much, and when western men, who
knows what it is, refooze to take their own money it is about
time other folks stopt handlin it. Banks are bustin every day,
goin up higher nor any balloon of which we hav any record.
These western bankers air a sweet & luvly set of men. I wish I
owned as good a house as some of 'em would break into!
Virtoo is its own reward.
A. Ward.
1.8. THE OCTOROON.
It is with no ordernary feelins of Shagrin & indignashun that I
rite you these here lines. Sum of the hiest and most purest
feelins whitch actoate the humin hart has bin trampt onto. The
Amerycan flag has bin outrajed. Ive bin nussin a Adder in my
Boozum. The fax in the kase is these here:
A few weeks ago I left Baldinsville to go to N.Y. fur to git
out my flamin yeller hanbills fur the Summer kampane, & as I
was peroosin a noospaper on the kars a middel aged man in
speckterkuls kum & sot down beside onto me. He was drest in
black close & was appeerently as fine a man as ever was.
"A fine day, Sir," he did unto me strateway say.
"Middlin," sez I, not wishin to kommit myself, tho he peered to
be as fine a man as there was in the wurld--"It is a middlin
fine day, Square," I obsarved.
Sez he, "How fares the Ship of State in yure regine of
country?"
Sez I, "We don't hav no ships in our State--the kanawl is our
best holt."
He pawsed a minit and then sed, "Air yu aware, Sir, that the
krisis is with us?"
"No," sez I, getting up and lookin under the seet, "whare is
she?"
"It's hear--it's everywhares," he sed.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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