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
I prepared a Essy on Animals to read before the Social Science
meetins. It is a subjeck I may troothfully say I have
successfully wrastled with. I tackled it when only nineteen
years old. At that tender age I writ a Essy for a lit'ry
Institoot entitled, "Is Cats to be Trusted?" Of the merits of
that Essy it doesn't becum me to speak, but I may be excoos'd for
mentionin that the Institoot parsed a resolution that "whether we
look upon the length of this Essy, or the manner in which it is
written, we feel that we will not express any opinion of it, and
we hope it will be read in other towns."
Of course the Essy I writ for the Social Science Society is a
more finisheder production than the one on Cats, which was wroten
when my mind was crood, and afore I had masterd a graceful and
ellygant stile of composition. I could not even punctooate my
sentences proper at that time, and I observe with pane, on lookin
over this effort of my yooth, that its beauty is in one or two
instances mar'd by ingrammaticisms. This was unexcusable, and
I'm surprised I did it. A writer who can't write in a grammerly
manner better shut up shop.
You shall hear this Essy on Animals. Some day when you have four
hours to spare, I'll read it to you. I think you'll enjoy it.
Or, what will be much better, if I may suggest--omit all picturs
in next week's "Punch," and do not let your contributors write
enything whatever (let them have a holiday; they can go to the
British Mooseum;) and publish my Essy intire. It will fill all
your collumes full, and create comment. Does this proposition
strike you? Is it a go?"
In case I had read the Essy to the Social Sciencers, I had
intended it should be the closin attraction. I had intended it
should finish the proceedins. I think it would have finished
them. I understand animals better than any other class of human
creatures. I have a very animal mind, and I've been identified
with 'em doorin my entire professional career as a showman, more
especial bears, wolves, leopards and serpunts.
The leopard is as lively a animal as I ever came into contack
with. It is troo he cannot change his spots, but you can change
'em for him with a paint-brush, as I once did in the case of a
leopard who wasn't nat'rally spotted in a attractive manner. In
exhibitin him I used to stir him up in his cage with a protracted
pole, and for the purpuss of making him yell and kick up in a
leopardy manner, I used to casionally whack him over the head.
This would make the children inside the booth scream with fright,
which would make fathers of families outside the booth very
anxious to come in--because there is a large class of parents who
have a uncontrollable passion for takin their children to places
where they will stand a chance of being frightened to death.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account