The Complete Works of Artemus Ward — Part 2: War — John Shaqi
The Complete Works of Artemus Ward — Part 2: WarWard, Artemus
General
The Complete Works of Artemus Ward — Part 2: War
Ward, Artemus
American wit and humor
I figgered conspicyusly in many thrillin scenes in my tower
from Montgomry to my humsted, and on sevril occasions I
thought "the grate komick paper" wouldn't be inriched no more
with my lubrications. Arter biddin adoo to Jefferson D. I
started for the depot. I saw a nigger sittin on a fence a
playin on a banjo, "My Afrikan Brother," sed I, coting from a
Track I onct red, "you belong to a very interestin race. Your
masters is goin to war excloosively on your account."
"Yes, boss," he replied, "an' I wish 'em honorable graves!"
and he went on playin the banjo, larfin all over and openin
his mouth wide enuff to drive in an old-fashioned 2 wheeled
chaise.
The train of cars in which I was to trust my wallerable life,
was the scaliest, rickytiest lookin lot of consarns that I
ever saw on wheels afore. "What time does this string of
second-hand coffins leave?" I inquired of the depot master.
He sed direckly, and I went in & sot down. I hadn't more'n
fairly squatted afore a dark lookin man with a swinister
expression onto his countenance entered the cars, and lookin
very sharp at me, he axed what was my principles?
"Secesh!" I ansered. "I'm a Dissoluter. I'm in favor of Jeff
Davis, Bowregard, Pickens, Capt. Kidd, Bloobeard, Munro
Edards, the devil, Mrs. Cunningham and all the rest of 'em."
"You're in favor of the war?"
"Certingly. By all means. I'm in favor of this war and also
of the next war. I've been in favor of the next war for over
sixteen years!"
"War to the knife!" sed the man.
"Blud, Eargo, Blud!" sed I, tho them words isn't orrigernal
with me, them words was rit by Shakspeare, who is ded. His
mantle fell onto the author of "The Seven Sisters," who's goin
to hav a Spring overcoat made out of it.
We got under way at larst, an' proceeded on our jerney at
about the rate of speed which is ginrally obsarved by
properly-conducted funeral processions. A hansum yung gal,
with a red musketer bar on the back side of her hed, and a
sassy little black hat tipt over her forrerd, sot in the seat
with me. She wore a little Sesesh flag pin'd onto her hat,
and she was a goin for to see her troo love, who had jined the
Southern army, all so bold and gay. So she told me. She was
chilly and I offered her my blanket.
"Father livin?" I axed.
"Yes, sir."
"Got any Uncles?"
"A heap. Uncle Thomas is ded, tho."
"Peace to Uncle Thomas's ashes, and success to him! I will be
your Uncle Thomas! Lean on me, my pretty Secesher, and linger
in Blissful repose!" She slept as secoorly as in her own
housen, and didn't disturb the sollum stillness of the night
with 'ary snore!
At the first station a troop of Sojers entered the cars and
inquired if "Old Wax Works" was on bored. That was the
disrespectiv stile in which they referred to me. "Becawz if
Old Wax Works is on bored," sez a man with a face like a
double-breasted lobster, "we're going to hang Old Wax Works!"
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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