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
"My illustrious and patriotic Bummers!" sez I, a gittin up and
takin orf my Shappo, "if you allude to A. Ward, it's my
pleasin dooty to inform you that he's ded. He saw the error
of his ways at 15 minutes parst 2 yesterday, and stabbed
hisself with a stuffed sled-stake, dyin in five beautiful
tabloos to slow moosic! His last words was: 'My perfeshernal
career is over! I jerk no more!'"
"And who be you?"
"I'm a stoodent in Senator Benjamin's law offiss. I'm going
up North to steal some spoons and things for the Southern
Army."
This was satisfactory and the intossicated troopers went orf.
At the next station the pretty little Secessher awoke and sed
she must git out there. I bid her a kind adoo and giv her sum
pervisions. "Accept my blessin and this hunk of ginger bred!"
I sed. She thankt me muchly and tript galy away. There's
considerable human nater in a man, and I'm afraid I shall
allers giv aid and comfort to the enemy if he cums to me in
the shape of a nice young gal.
At the next station I didn't get orf so easy. I was dragged
out of the cars and rolled in the mud for several minits, for
the purpose of "takin the conseet out of me," as a Secesher
kindly stated.
I was let up finally, when a powerful large Secesher came up
and embraced me, and to show that he had no hard feelins agin
me, put his nose into my mouth. I returned the compliment by
placin my stummick suddenly agin his right foot, when he
kindly made a spittoon of his able-bodied face. Actooated by
a desire to see whether the Secesher had bin vaxinated I then
fastened my teeth onto his left coat-sleeve and tore it to the
shoulder. We then vilently bunted out heads together for a
few minutes, danced around a little, and sot down in a
mudpuddle. We riz to our feet agin and by a sudden and adroit
movement I placed my left eye agin the Secesher's fist. We
then rushed into each other's arms and fell under a two-hoss
wagon. I was very much exhaustid and didn't care about gettin
up agin, but the man sed he reckoned I'd better, and I
conclooded I would. He pulled me up, but I hadn't bin on my
feet more'n two seconds afore the ground flew up and hit me in
the hed. The crowd sed it was high old sport, but I couldn't
zackly see where the lafture come in. I riz and we embraced
agin. We careered madly to a steep bank, when I got the upper
hands of my antaggernist and threw him into the raveen. He
fell about forty feet, striking a grindstone pretty hard. I
understood he was injured. I haven't heard from the
grindstone.
A man in a cockt hat cum up and sed he felt as though a
apology was doo me. There was a mistake. The crowd had taken
me for another man! I told him not to mention it, and axed
him if his wife and little ones was so as to be about, and got
on bored the train, which had stopped at that station "20
minits for refreshments." I got all I wantid. It was the
hartiest meal I ever et.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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