The Complete Works of Artemus Ward — Part 4: To California and Return — John Shaqi
The Complete Works of Artemus Ward — Part 4: To California and ReturnWard, Artemus
General
The Complete Works of Artemus Ward — Part 4: To California and Return
Ward, Artemus
American wit and humor
I go back to my hotel and go to bed, and I do not get up again for
two weary weeks. I have the mountain fever (so called in Utah,
though it closely resembles the old-style typhus) and my case is
pronounced dangerous. I don't regard it so. I don't, in fact,
regard anything. I am all right, MYSELF. My poor Hingston shakes
his head sadly, and Dr. Williamson, from Camp Douglas, pours all
kinds of bitter stuff down my throat. I drink his health in a dose
of the cheerful beverage known as jalap, and thresh the sheets with
my hot hands. I address large assemblages, who have somehow got
into my room, and I charge Dr. Williamson with the murder of Luce,
and Mr. Irwin, the actor, with the murder of Shakspeare. I have a
lucid spell now and then, in one of which James Townsend, the
landlord, enters. He whispers, but I hear what he says far too
distinctly: "This man can have anything and everything he wants;
but I'm no hand for a sick room. I NEVER COULD SEE ANYBODY DIE."
That was cheering, I thought. The noble Californian, Jerome
Davis -he of the celebrated ranch- sticks by me like a twin
brother, although I fear that in my hot frenzy I more than once
anathematised his kindly eyes. Nursers and watchers, Gentile and
Mormon, volunteer their services in hoops and rare wines are sent
to me from all over the city, which, if I can't drink, the
venerable and excellent Thomas can, easy.
I lay there in this wild, broiling way for nearly two weeks, when
one morning I woke up with my head clear and an immense plaster on
my stomach. The plaster had OPERATED. I was so raw that I could by
no means say to Dr. Williamson, "Well done, thou good and faithful
servant". I wished he had lathed me before he plastered me. I was
fearfully weak. I was frightfully thin. With either one of my
legs you could have cleaned the stem of a meerschaum pipe. My
backbone had the appearance of a clothesline with a quantity of
English walnuts strung upon it. My face was almost gone. My nose
was so sharp that I didn't dare stick it into other people's
business for fear it would stay there. But by borrowing my agent's
overcoat I succeeded in producing a shadow.
. . . .
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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