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
Presently a perfeckly orful lookin female presented herself at
the door. Her gownd was skanderlusly short and her trowsis was
shameful to behold.
She eyed me over very sharp, and then startin back she sed, in
a wild voice:
"Ah, can it be?"
"Which?" sed I.
"Yes, 'tis troo, O 'tis troo!"
"15 cents, marm," I anserd.
She bust out a cryin & sed:
"And so I hav found you at larst--at larst, O at larst!"
"Yes," I anserd, "you hav found me at larst, and you would hav
found me at fust, if you had cum sooner."
She grabd me vilently by the coat collar, and brandishin her
umbreller wildly round, exclaimed:
"Air you a man?"
Sez I, "I think I air, but if you doubt it, you can address
Mrs. A. Ward, Baldinsville, Injianny, postage pade, & she will
probly giv you the desired informashun."
"Then thou ist what the cold world calls marrid?"
"Madam, I istest!"
The exsentric female then clutched me franticly by the arm and
hollered:
"You air mine, O you air mine!"
"Scacely," I sed, endeverin to git loose from her. But she
clung to me and sed:
"You air my Affinerty!"
"What upon arth is that?" I shouted.
"Dost thou not know?"
"No, I dostent!"
"Listin man, & I'll tell ye!" sed the strange female; "for
years I hav yearned for thee. I knowd thou wast in the world,
sumwhares, tho I didn't know whare. My hart sed he would cum
and I took courage. He HAS cum--he's here--you air him--you
air my Affinerty! O 'tis too mutch! too mutch!" and she sobbed
agin.
"Yes," I anserd, "I think it is a darn site too mutch!"
"Hast thou not yearned for me?" she yelled, ringin her hands
like a female play acter.
"Not a yearn!" I bellerd at the top of my voice, throwin her
away from me.
The free lovers who was standin round obsarvin the scene
commenst for to holler "shame" "beast," etsettery, etsettery.
I was very mutch riled, and fortifyin myself with a spare tent
stake, I addrest them as follers: "You pussylanermus critters,
go way from me and take this retchid woman with you. I'm a
law-abidin man, and beleeve in good, old-fashioned institutions.
I am marrid & my orfsprings resemble me if I am a showman! I
think your Affinity bizniss is cussed noncents, besides bein
outrajusly wicked. Why don't you behave desunt like other
folks? Go to work and earn a honist livin and not stay round
here in this lazy, shiftless way, pizenin the moral atmosphere
with your pestifrous ideas! You wimin folks go back to your
lawful husbands if you've got any, and take orf them skanderlous
gownds and trowsis, and dress respectful like other wimin. You
men folks, cut orf them pirattercal whiskers, burn up them
infurnel pamplits, put sum weskuts on, go to work choppin wood,
splittin fence rales, or tillin the sile." I pored 4th my
indignashun in this way till I got out of breth, when I stopt.
I shant go to Berlin Hites agin, not if I live to be as old
as Methooseler.
1.15. A VISIT TO BRIGHAM YOUNG.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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