The American Joe Miller: A Collection of Yankee Wit and Humor
John Stuart Mill · en
"Friend Wales,--You remember me. I saw you in Canada a few years
ago. I remember you, too. I seldim forgit a person. I hearn of
your marriage to the Princess Alexandry, & ment ter writ you a
congreetoolatory letter at the time, but I've bin bilding a barn this
summer, & hain't had no time to write letters to folks. Excoos me. We
hain't got any daily paper in our town, but we've got a female sewin
circle, which answers the same purpuss. Numeris changes has tooken
place since we met in the body politic. The body politic, in fack, is
sick. I sumtimes think it has got biles, friend Wales. In my country
we've got a war, while your country manetanes a nootral position! Yes,
sir, we've got a war, and the troo Patrit has to make sacrifisses.
I have alreddy given two cousins to the war, and I stand reddy to
sacrifiss my wife's brother rather'n not see the rebelyin krusht.
And if wuss cums to wuss I'll shed ev'ry drop of blud my able-bodied
relatiens has got to prosekoot the war. I think somebody oughter be
prosekooted, & it may as well be the war as anybody else. My object
in now addressin' you is to give you sum adwice, friend Wales, about
managin' your wife, a bizness I've had over thirty years' experience
in. You had a good weddin. The papers hav a good deal to say about
'vikins' in connection tharewith. Not knowing what that air, and so
I frankly tells you, my noble lord dook, I can't 'zactly say whether
we had 'em or not. We was both very much flustrated. But I never
enjoyed myself better in my life. Dowtless, your supper was ahead of
our'n. As regards eatin' uses Baldinsville was allers shaky. But you
can git a good meal in New York, and cheap, too. You can git half a
mackrill at Delmonico's or Mr. Mason Dory's, for six dollars, and a
biled pertaters throwd in. I manidge my wife without any particler
trouble. When I fust commenst trainin' her I institooted a series of
experiments, and them as didn't work I abanding'd. You had better do
similer. There's varis ways of managin' a wife, friend Wales, but the
best and only safe way is to let her do jist about as she wants to.
I 'dopted that there plan sum time ago, and it works like a charm.
Remember me kindly to Mrs. Wales. As yehrs roll by, and accidents
begin to happen to you--and your responsibilities increase--you will
agree with me that family joys air the only ones a man can bet on
with any certinty of winnin'. It may interest you to know that I'm
prosperin' in a pecoonery pint of view. I make 'bout as much in the
course of a year as a Cab'net offisser does, and I understan' my
bizness a good deal better than sum of 'em do. Respects to St. Gorge
and the Dragon.--'Ever be happy.'"
"ARTEMUS WARD."
PROVIDING FOR BILLS.--373.