The Complete Works of Artemus Ward — Part 7: MiscellaneousWard, Artemus
General
The Complete Works of Artemus Ward — Part 7: Miscellaneous
Ward, Artemus
American wit and humor
"A sherry cobbler would be more to the purpose," says I, "but if they
hev none of them coolin drinks at art sworricks, here goes for the
Moky." (N.B.--This I sed ironical. Korfy at sworricks is usually
burnt beans.)
So we med our way into another room, with 2 bar-counters, and a crowd
of people pushin and drivin to get forrerd. They knocked and elbered
me about till I felt my dander riz. "Come on, Squire," sez I,
setting my arms a kimber; "take care, my old coons, of your tendur
Korns and Bunyans. Look out for your ribs, for I've crooked my
elbers," and forrerd I goes with Squire follerin' in my wake. Bimeby
a woman's long skirt gets between my legs, and I spins round and goes
kerslash into the stumuck of a fat old gentleman, who was just blowin
his third cup. He med a spaired his breath though! kerslap I goes
into his wastecote, and kesouse goes his coffy over his shoulders
onto hed and neck of a bony old made with a bird of Pardice in her
artificial locks.
"Beg your pardon, marm," sez I, as soon as I could speak.
She looked imprekashuns, and turned away ortily, mopping herself down
with a laced nose-rag.
The Old gentleman was more cholerick. "Cuss your clumsiness," says
he, "can't you come to a graffick without punching your ugly hed Into
other people's stumucks?"
"I didn't go for to do it," sez I, "and jest put the Sadll on the
right hoss, mister," I continerred. "If this femail behind didn't
carry so much slack foresail, she wuddn't hev entangled my spars and
careened me over."
Arter this I would try no more of their all-fired corfy. Squire--
had had enough of the Sworrick, so we made tracks for the Ho-tell.
"Bring-up a quart of brandy," sez the Squire, "and a bilin o' lemons
and sugar. Mr. W.," sez he, "there's not much of me left. Let's
liquor up! Let's have a smoke and a cocktail." So we mixes, and
had an entertaining discorse on polite literatoor. "Dod-rabbit the
sworrick," says Squire. "Say no more about it. I was a fool, Mr
Ward, to prefare it to your amusin an inshstructive conversashun."
After a while we got cheerful and sung "ale Columby" (it's a fine
voice the Squire has for a doo-et). Respect for the soshul Borde
makes me now cave in and klose my commoonication. Squire -- is a
grate filantherpist, but he's not grate at stowing away his lick-er.
I tuk him to bed after the 3d tumbler, that the cuss of a british
Waiter might not see one of us free & enlightened citizens onable to
walk strate. He said it was a wet night, and demanded his umburella.
Likewise he wouldn't hev his boots off, for fere of catchin cold. I
put the candle in the wash-basan that the critter mightn't set
hisself on fire, and left him in bed with his umburella up, singing
"Ale columby."
Arter that I went down and finished the mahogany. (Brandy and water,
the ruddy appearance of which indicates that very little of the
latter has been used in its composition. Spanish is the stronger,
and Honduras the milder mixture.)
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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