The Complete Works of Artemus Ward — Part 6: Artemus Ward's PanoramaWard, Artemus
General
The Complete Works of Artemus Ward — Part 6: Artemus Ward's Panorama
Ward, Artemus
American wit and humor
These fires occur--of course--in the summer--when the grass
is dry as tinder--and the flames rush and roar over the
prairie in a manner frightful to behold. They usually burn
better than mine is burning to-night. I try to make my
prairie burn regularly--and not disappoint the public--but
it is not as high-principled as I am. (The scene was a
transparent one--the light from behind so managed as to give
the effect of the prairie on fire. Artemus enjoyed the joke
of letting the fire go out occasionally, and then allowing
it to relight itself.)
(Picture of) Brigham Young at home.
The last picture I have to show you represents Mr. Brigham
Young in the bosom of his family. His family is large--and
the olive branches around his table are in a very tangled
condition. He is more a father than any man I know. When
at home--as you here see him--he ought to be very happy with
sixty wives to minister to his comforts--and twice sixty
children to soothe his distracted mind. Ah! my friends--
what is home without a family?
What will become of Mormonism? We all know and admit it to
be a hideous wrong--a great immoral strain upon the
'scutcheon of the United States. My belief is that its
existence is dependent upon the life of Brigham Young. His
administrative ability holds the system together--his power
of will maintains it as the faith of a community. When he
dies--Mormonism will die too. The men who are around him
have neither his talent nor his energy. By means of his
strength it is held together. When he falls--Mormonism will
also fall to pieces.
That lion--you perceive--has a tail. It is a long one
already. Like mine--it is to be continued in our next.
(Reprise of first picture of curtain and footlights.
The curtain fell for the last time on Wednesday, the 23d of
January 1867. Artemus Ward had to break off the lecture
abruptly. He never lectured again.)
6.3. "THE TIMES" NOTICE.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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