The genial showman, reminiscences of the life of 'Artemus Ward'.

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Page 22 - And will be, tho' as yet I keep Within his court on earth, and sleep Encompass'd by his faithful guard, And hear at times a sentinel Who moves about from place to place, And whispers to the worlds of space, In the deep night, that all is well. CXXVII. And all is well, tho...
Page 391 - MR. ARTEMUS WARD will call on the Citizens of London, at their residences, and explain any jokes in his narrative which they may not understand. A person of long-established integrity will...
Page 158 - ... that handkerchief Did an Egyptian to my mother give . . . . . . there's magic in the web of it; A sibyl, that had number'd in the world The sun to make two hundred compasses, In her prophetic fury sew'd the work; The worms were hallow'd that did breed the silk. And it was dyed in mummy, which the skilful Conserve of maidens
Page 281 - A Lecture will be delivered here, in a sweet voice, by Artemus Ward, the Wild Humorist of the Plains." It will appear from these stories how perfect was his confidence in his jokes. He said to some negro minstrels, with whom he spent an hour after one of his lectures in Philadelphia : " I had a new joke in my lecture to-night. If George Christy had known I was going to have it, he would have traveled...
Page 390 - This opinion was shared by the Times, the literary reviews, and the gayest leaders of society. The publishers of Punch posted up his name in large letters over their shop in Fleet street, and Artemus delighted to point it out to his friends. About this time Mr. Browne wrote to his friend, Jack Rider, of Cleveland : This is the proudest moment of my life. To have been as well appreciated here as at home, to have written for the oldest comic journal in the English language, received mention...
Page 184 - The maniacs stopped me when I was orating sublimely, and called upon me to sing," said he. " They howled for a song/' " And did you sing ?" " I had to, or they would have thrown cart-wheels at me." Knowing that he had no vocal abilities I expressed my surprise, and wished to know what song he selected for the occasion ? He replied, laughingly — " The cheerful lunatics wanted ' Maggie by my side;' they pitched the tune, aud I joined in with them.
Page 236 - I find it to be an ill-built, dirty, wooden structure; the auditorium consisting of a pit with raised seats, and the chief entrance being through a very forbidding-looking drinking bar, in which, early in the morning as it is, many men are lounging, some drinking, some smoking, and some playing cards. They are roughly clad, and wear large slouching wide-awake hats. Beside the door leading from the bar into the theatre proper is a painted notice— "NO WASHYBUMS ADMITTED HERE.
Page 217 - Here's the money-taker's return. It is just half of what I received. The people opened the windows LECTURING IN A CHURCH. 219 and sat on the sills, while others stood in rows round the Church, When I came out they all waited to see me, and paid up their dollars for standing room. I like churches to lecture in, but — if you take another one for me — get some footlights to the pulpit.
Page 75 - It doesn't matter what you wear in California." " That's fortunate. I never was much," replied Artemus. The joke told. It travelled over San Francisco that evening.
Page 343 - Man is a part of God, and when man belongs to the Church the image of God is in him; he loses his selfishness, becomes like God, and can love many.

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