The American Joe Miller: A Collection of Yankee Wit and Humor
John Stuart Mill · en
Artemus Ward, in one of his letters, thus gives his idea of
reorganization:--"I never attempted to reorganize my wife but once.
I shall never attempt it again. I'd bin to a public dinner, and
had allowed myself to be betrayed into drinkin' several people's
health, and wishin' to make 'em as robust as possible, I continued
drinkin' their healths until my own became affected. Consekens was, I
presented myself at Betsy's bedside late at nite, with considerable
licker concealed about my person. I had somehow got perseschum of a
hosswhip on my way home, and rememberin' some cranky observashuns of
Mrs. Ward's in the morin', I snapt the whip putty lively, and in a
very loud voice I said, Betsy--I continued crackin' the whip over the
bed--I have come to reorganize you! I dreamed that nite that sumbody
laid a hosswhip over me sev'ril conseckootive times; and when I woke
up I found _she_ had. I haint drunk much of anythin' since, and if I
ever have another reorganizin' job on hand I shall let it out."
A RECEIPT IN FULL.--476.
A German in New York being required to give a receipt in full, after
much mental effort produced the following:--"I ish full. I wants no
more money. John Swackhammer." Perhaps the sententious Tueton was full
of lager beer.
A SUDDEN DECLARATION.--477.
A young gentleman happening to sit at church in a pew adjoining one
in which sat a young lady, for whom he conceived a sudden and violent
passion, was desirous of entering into a courtship on the spot, but
the place not suiting a formal declaration, the exigency of the case
suggested the following plan:--He politely handed his fair neighbour
a Bible open, with a pin stuck in the following text:--Second Epistle
of John, verse fifth--"And now I beseech thee lady, not as though I
wrote a new commandment unto thee, but that which we had from the
beginning, that we love one another." She returned it pointing to
the second chapter of Ruth, verse tenth--"Then she fell on her face
and bowed herself to the ground, and said unto him 'Why have I found
grace in thine eyes, seeing that I am a stranger?'" He returned the
book, pointing to the thirteenth verse of the Third Epistle of St.
John--"Having many things to write unto you, I would not write with
paper and ink, but I trust to come unto you, and speak face to face,
that our joy may be full." From the above interview a marriage took
place the ensuing week.
A VOCATION.--478.
"You're a loafer--a man without a calling," said a judge to a person
arrested as a vagrant. "I beg your pardon, your honour, I have a
vocation." "What is it?" "I smoke glass for eclipses, but just now it
is our dull season."
MAJOR DOWNING IN LONDON.--479.
The Queen regretted that she could not invite me to stay to dinner,
cause 'twas washin' day in the palace, and they only had a pick-up
dinner.
ANY BETTER THAN NONE.--480.