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been 2 quarters to the Akademy。

〃I never heard twins called by that name afore;〃 sed I; 〃But I
spose it's all rite。〃

〃We shall soon have Wards enuff;〃 sed the editer of the
Baldinsville 〃Bugle of Liberty;〃 who was lookin over a bundle of
exchange papers in the corner; 〃to apply to the legislater for a
City Charter!〃

〃Good for you; old man!〃 sed I; 〃giv that air a conspickius place
in the next 〃Bugle。〃

〃How redicklus;〃 sed pretty Susan Fletcher; coverin her face with
her knittin work & larfin like all possest。

〃Wall; for my part;〃 sed Jane Maria Peasly; who is the crossest old
made in the world; 〃I think you all act like a pack of fools。〃

Sez I; 〃Miss Peasly; air you a parent?〃

Sez she; 〃No; I ain't。〃

Sez I; 〃Miss Peasly; you never will be。〃

She left。

We sot there talkin & larfin until 〃the switchin hour of nite; when
grave yards yawn & Josts troop 4th;〃 as old Bill Shakespire aptlee
obsarves in his dramy of John Sheppard; esq; or the Moral House
Breaker; when we broke up & disbursed。

Muther & children is a doin well & as Resolushuns is the order of
the day I will feel obleeged if you'll insurt the follerin

Whereas; two Eppisodes has happined up to the undersined's house;
which is Twins; & Whereas I like this stile; sade twins bein of the
male perswashun & both boys; there4 Be it

RESOLVED; That to them nabers who did the fare thing by sade
Eppisodes my hart felt thanks is doo。

RESOLVED; That I do most hartily thank Engine Ko。 No。 17; who;
under the impreshun from the fuss at my house on that auspishus
nite that thare was a konflagration goin on; kum galyiantly to the
spot; but kindly refraned from squirtin。

RESOLVED; That frum the Bottum of my Sole do I thank the
Baldinsville brass band fur givin up the idea of Sarahnadin me;
both on that great nite & sinse。

RESOLVED; That my thanks is doo several members of the Baldinsville
meetin house who for 3 whole dase hain't kalled me a sinful skoffer
or intreeted me to mend my wicked wase and jine sade meetin house
to onct。

RESOLVED; That my Boozum teams with meny kind emoshuns towards the
follerin individoouls; to whit nameleeMis。 Square Baxter; who
Jenerusly refoozed to take a sent for a bottle of camfire; lawyer
Perkinses wife who rit sum versis on the Eppisodes; the Editer of
the Baldinsville 〃Bugle of Liberty;〃 who nobly assisted me in
wollupin my Kangeroo; which sagashus little cuss seriusly disturbed
the Eppisodes by his outrajus screetchins & kickins up; Mis。 Hirum
Doolittle; who kindly furnisht sum cold vittles at a tryin time;
when it wasunt konvenient to cook vittles at my hous; & the
Peasleys; Parsunses & Watsunses fur there meny ax of kindness。

                           Trooly yures;
                                                Artemus Ward。


1。29。  BOSTON。  (A。 WARD TO HIS WIFE。)

Dear Betsy:  I write you this from Boston; 〃the Modern Atkins;〃 as
it is denomyunated; altho' I skurcely know what those air。  I'll
giv you a kursoory view of this city。  I'll klassify the paragrafs
under seprit headins; arter the stile of those Emblems of Trooth
and Poority; the Washinton correspongdents!

COPP'S HILL。

The winder of my room commands a exileratin view of Copps' Hill;
where Cotton Mather; the father of the Reformers and sich; lies
berrid。  There is men even now who worship Cotton; and there is
wimin who wear him next their harts。  But I do not weep for him。
He's bin ded too lengthy。  I ain't going to be absurd; like old Mr。
Skillins; in our naberhood; who is ninety…six years of age; and
gets drunk every 'lection day; and weeps Bitturly because he haint
got no Parents。  He's a nice Orphan; HE is。

BUNKER HILL。

Bunker Hill is over yonder in Charleston。  In 1776 a thrillin dramy
was acted out over there; in which the 〃Warren Combination〃 played
star parts。

MR。 FANUEL。

Old Mr。 Fanuel is ded; but his Hall is still into full blarst。
This is the Cradle in which the Goddess of Liberty was rocked; my
Dear。  The Goddess hasn't bin very well durin' the past few years;
and the num'ris quack doctors she called in didn't help her any;
but the old gal's physicians now are men who understand their
bizness; Major…generally speakin'; and I think the day is near when
she'll be able to take her three meals a day; and sleep nights as
comf'bly as in the old time。

THE COMMON。

It is here; as ushil; and the low cuss who called it a Wacant Lot;
and wanted to know why they didn't ornament it with sum Bildins';
is a onhappy Outcast in Naponsit。

THE LEGISLATUR。

The State House is filled with Statesmen; but sum of 'em wear queer
hats。  They buy 'em; I take it; of hatters who carry on hat stores
down…stairs in Dock Square; and whose hats is either ten years
ahead of the prevailin' stile; or ten years behind itjest as a
intellectooal person sees fit to think about it。  I had the
pleasure of talkin' with sevril members of the legislatur。  I told
'em the Eye of 1000 ages was onto we American peple of to…day。
They seemed deeply impressed by the remark; and wantid to know if I
had seen the Grate Orgin?

HARVARD COLLEGE。

This celebrated institootion of learnin is pleasantly situated in
the Bar…room of Parker's in School street; and has poopils from all
over the country。

I had a letter yes'd'y; by the way; from our mootual son; Artemus;
Jr。; who is at Bowdoin College in Maine。  He writes that he's a
Bowdoin Arab。 & is it cum to this?  Is this Boy as I nurtered with
a Parent's care into his childhood's houris he goin' to be a
Grate American humorist?  Alars!  I fear it is too troo。  Why
didn't I bind him out to the Patent Travellin Vegetable Pill Man;
as was struck with his appearance at our last County Fair; & wanted
him to go with him and be a Pillist?  Ar; these Boysthey little
know how the old folks worrit about 'em。  But my father he never
had no occasion to worrit about me。  You know; Betsy; that when I
fust commenced my career as a moral exhibitor with a six…legged cat
and a Bass drum; I was only a simple peasant childskurce 15
Summers had flow'd over my yoothful hed。  But I had sum mind of my
own。  My father understood this。 〃Go;〃 he sed〃go; my son; and hog
the public!〃 (he ment; 〃knock em;〃 but the old man was allus a
little given to slang)。  He put his withered han' tremblinly onto
my hed; and went sadly into the house。  I thought I saw tears
tricklin down his venerable chin; but it might hav been tobacker
jooce。  He chaw'd。

LITERATOOR。

The 〃Atlantic Monthly;〃 Betsy; is a reg'lar visitor to our westun
home。  I like it because it has got sense。  It don't print stories
with piruts and honist young men into 'em; makin' the piruts
splendid fellers and the honist young men dis'gree'ble idiotsso
that our darters very nat'rally prefer the piruts to the honist
young idiots; but it gives us good square American literatoor。  The
chaps that write for the 〃Atlantic;〃 Betsy; understand their
bizness。  They can sling ink; they can。  I went in and saw 'em。  I
told 'em that theirs was a high and holy mission。  They seemed
quite gratified; and asked me if I had seen the Grate Orgin。

WHERE THE FUST BLUD WAS SPILT。

I went over to Lexington yes'd'y。  My Boozum hove with sollum
emotions。  〃& this;〃 I sed to a man who was drivin' a yoke of oxen;
〃this is where our revolutionary forefathers asserted their
independence and spilt their Blud。  Classic ground!〃

〃Wall;〃 the man sed; 〃it's good for white beans and potatoes; but
was regards raisin' wheat; t'ain't worth a damn。  But hav' you seen
the Grate Orgin?〃

THE POOTY GIRL IN SPECTACLES。

I returned in the Hoss Cars; part way。  A pooty girl in spectacles
sot near me; and was tellin' a young man how much he reminded her
of a man she used to know in Walthan。  Pooty soon the young man got
out; and; smilin' in a seductive manner; I said to the girl in
spectacles; 〃Don't _I_ remind you of somebody you used to know?〃

〃Yes;〃 she sed; 〃you do remind me of one man; but he was sent to
the penitentiary for stealin' a Bar'l of mackrilhe died there; so
I conclood you ain't HIM。〃  I didn't pursoo the conversation。  I
only heard her silvery voice once more durin' the remainder of the
jerney。  Turnin' to a respectable lookin' female of advanced
summers; she asked her if she had seen the Grate Orgin。

We old chaps; my dear; air apt to forget that it is sum time since
we was infants; and et lite food。  Nothin' of further int'rist took
place on the cars excep' a colored gentleman; a total stranger to
me; asked if I'd lend him my diamond Brestpin to wear to a funeral
in South Boston。  I told him I wouldn'tnot a PURPUSS。

WILD GAME
Altho' fur from the prahayries; there is abundans of wild game in
Boston; such as quails; snipes; plover; ans Props。  (The game of
〃props;〃 played with cowrie shells is; I believe; peculiar to the
city of Boston。)

COMMON SKOOLS。

A excellent skool sistim is in vogy here。  John Slurk; my old
pardner; has a little son who has only bin to skool two months; and
yet he exhibertid his father's performin' Bear in the show all last
summer。  I hope they pay partic'lar 'tention to Spelin in these
Skools; because if a man can't Spel wel he's of no 'kount。

SUMMIN' UP。

I ment to have allooded to the Grate Orgin in this letter; but I
haven't seen it。  Mr。 Reveer; whose tavern I stop at; informed me
that it can be distinctly heard through a smoked glass in his nativ
town in New Hampshire; any clear day。  But settin' the Grate Orgin
aside (and indeed; I don't think I heard it mentioned all the time
I was there); Boston is one of the grandest; sure…footedest; clear
headedest; comfortablest cities on the globe。  Onlike ev'ry other
large city I was ever in; the most of the hackmen don't seem to
hav' bin speshully intended by natur for the Burglery perfession;
and it's about the only large city I know of where you don't enjoy
a brilliant opportunity of bein swindled in sum way; from the Risin
of the sun to the goin down thereof。  There4 I say; loud and
continnered applaus' for Boston!

DOMESTIC MATTERS。

Kiss the children for me。  What you tell me 'bout the Twins greeves
me sorely。  When I sent 'em that Toy Enjine I had not
contempyulated that 

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