The Complete Works of Artemus Ward — Part 5: The London Punch Letters — John Shaqi
The Complete Works of Artemus Ward — Part 5: The London Punch LettersWard, Artemus
General
The Complete Works of Artemus Ward — Part 5: The London Punch Letters
Ward, Artemus
American wit and humor
My young readers, who wish to know about Shakspeare, better get
these vallyable remarks framed.
I returned to the hotel. Meetin a young married couple, they
asked me if I could direct them to the hotel which Washington
Irving used to keep?
"I've understood that he was onsuccessful as a lan'lord," said
the lady.
"We've understood," said the young man, "that he busted up."
I told 'em I was a stranger, and hurried away. They were from my
country, and ondoubtedly represented a thrifty Ile well somewhere
in Pennsylvany. It's a common thing, by the way, for a old farmer
in Pennsylvany to wake up some mornin' and find ile squirtin all
around his back yard. He sells out for 'normous price, and his
children put on gorgeous harness and start on a tower to astonish
people. They succeed in doin it. Meantime the Ile squirts and
squirts, and Time rolls on. Let it roll.
A very nice old town is Stratford, and a capital inn is the Red
Horse. Every admirer of the great S. must go there once
certinly; and to say one isn't a admirer of him, is equv'lent to
sayin one has jest about brains enough to become a efficient
tinker.
Some kind person has sent me Chawcer's "poems." Mr. C. had
talent, but he couldn't spel. No man has a right to be a
lit'rary man onless he knows how to spel. It is a pity that
Chawcer, who had geneyus, was so unedicated. He's the wuss
speller I know of.
I guess I'm through, and so I lay down the pen, which is more
mightier than the sword, but which I'm fraid would stand a
rayther slim chance beside the needle gun.
Adoo! Adoo!
Artemus Ward.
5.5. IS INTRODUCED AT THE CLUB.
MR. PUNCH, My dear Sir,--It is seldim that the Commercial
relations between Great Britain and the United States is mar'd
by Games.
It is Commerce after all, which will keep the two countries
friendly to'ards each other rather than statesmen.
I look at your last Parliament, and I can't see that a single
speech was encored during the entire session.
Look at Congress--but no, I'd rather not look at Congress.
Entertainin this great regard for Commerce, "whose sales whiten
every sea," as everybody happily observes every chance he gets, I
learn with disgust and surprise that a British subjeck bo't a
Barril of Apple Sass in America recently, and when he arrove home
he found under a few deloosiv layers of sass nothin but sawdust.
I should have instintly gone into the City and called a meetin of
the leadin commercial men to condemn and repudiate, as a
American, this gross frawd, if I hadn't learned at the same time
that the draft given by the British subjeck in payment for this
frawdylent sass was drawed onto a Bankin House in London which
doesn't have a existance, but far otherwise, and never did.
There is those who larf at these things, but to me they merit
rebooks and frowns.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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