Feelin' a little peckish, I went into a eatin' house to-day and encountered a young man with long black hair and slender frame.He didn't wear much clothes, and them as he did wear looked onhealthy.He frowned on me, and sed, kinder scornful, "So, Sir--you come here to taunt us in our hour of trouble, do you?""No," said I, "I cum here for hash!"
"Pish-haw!" he sed sneerinly, "I mean you air in this city for the purposes of gloating over a fallen people.Others may basely succumb, but as for me, I will never yield--NEVER, NEVER!""Hav' suthin' to eat!" I pleasantly suggested.
"Tripe and onions!" he sed furcely; then he added, "I eat with you, but I hate you.You're a low-lived Yankee!"To which I pleasantly replied, "How'l you have your tripe?""Fried, mudsill! with plenty of ham-fat!"He et very ravenus.Poor feller! He had lived on odds and ends for several days, eatin' crackers that had bin turned over by revelers in the bread tray at the bar.
He got full at last, and his hart softened a little to'ards me."After all," he sed, "you have sum people at the North who air not wholly loathsum beasts?""Well, yes," I sed, "we hav' now and then a man among us who isn't a cold-bluded scoundril.Young man," I mildly but gravely sed, "this crooil war is over, and you're lickt! It's rather necessary for sumbody to lick in a good square, lively fite, and in this 'ere case it happens to be the United States of America.You fit splendid, but we was too many for you.
Then make the best of it, & let us all give in and put the Republic on a firmer basis nor ever.
"I don't gloat over your misfortuns, my young fren'.Fur from it.I'm a old man now, & my hart is softer nor it once was.
You see my spectacles is misten'd with suthin' very like tears.I'm thinkin' of the sea of good rich Blud that has been spilt on both sides in this dredful war! I'm thinkin' of our widders and orfuns North, and of your'n in the South.Ikin cry for both.B'leeve me, my young fren', I kin place my old hands tenderly on the fair yung hed of the Virginny maid whose lover was laid low in the battle dust by a fed'ral bullet, and say, as fervently and piously as a vener'ble sinner like me kin say anythin', God be good to you, my poor dear, my poor dear."I riz up to go, & takin' my young Southern fren' kindly by the hand, I sed, "Yung man, adoo! You Southern fellers is probly my brothers, tho' you've occasionally had a cussed queer way of showin' it! It's over now.Let us all line in and make a country on this continent that shall giv' all Europe the cramp in the stummuck ev'ry time they look at us! Adoo, adoo!"And as I am through, I likewise say adoo to you, jentle reader, merely remarkin' that the Star-Spangled Banner is wavin' round loose agin, and that there don't seem to be anything the matter with the Goddess of Liberty beyond a slite cold.
Artemus Ward.
2.13.ARTEMUS WARD TO THE PRINCE OF WALES.
FRIEND WALES,--You remember me.I saw you in Canady a few years ago.I remember you too.I seldim forget a person.
I hearn of your marriage to the Printcis Alexandry, & ment ter writ you a congratoolatory letter at the time, but I've bin bildin a barn this summer, & hain't had no time to write letters to folks.Excoose me.
Numeris changes has tooken place since we met in the body politic.The body politic, in fack, is sick.I sometimes think it has got biles, friend Wales.
In my country we've got war, while your country, in conjunktion with Cap'n Sems of the "Alobarmy," manetanes a nootral position!
I'm afraid I can't write goaks when I sit about it.Oh no, Iguess not!
Yes, Sir, we've got a war, and the troo Patrit has to make sacrifisses, you bet.
I have alreddy given two cousins to the war, & I stand reddy to sacrifiss my wife's brother ruther'n not see the rebelyin krusht.And if wuss cums to wuss I'll shed ev'ry drop of blud my able-bodied relations has got to prosekoot the war.Ithink sumbody oughter be prosekooted, & it may as well be the war as any body else.When I git a goakin fit onto me it's no use to try ter stop me.
You hearn about the draft, friend Wales, no doubt.It caused sum squirmin', but it was fairly conducted, I think, for it hit all classes.It is troo that Wendill Phillips, who is a American citizen of African scent, 'scaped, but so did Vallandiggum, who is Conservativ, and who wus resuntly sent South, tho' he would have bin sent to the Dry Tortoogus if Abe had 'sposed for a minit that the Tortoogusses would keep him.
We hain't got any daily paper in our town, but we've got a female sewin' circle, which ansers the same purpuss, and we wasn't long in suspents as to who was drafted.
One young man who was drawd claimed to be exemp because he was the only son of a widow'd mother who supported him.A few able-bodid dead men was drafted, but whether their heirs will have to pay 3 hundrid dollars a peace for 'em is a question for Whitin', who 'pears to be tinkerin' up this draft bizniss right smart.I hope he makes good wages.
I think most of the conscrips in this place will go.A few will go to Canady, stopping on their way at Concord, N.H., where I understan there is a Muslum of Harts.
