English and American Fun.

Waikato Times, Volume X, Issue 685, 4 November 1876, Page 2 (Supplement)

English and American Fun.

Che difference between American and English comic literature has been thus cleverly puc by Josh Billings :— ' Amenkana love caustic things ; they would profet turpentine to colone-water, if they had to drink either. So with the relish of humour ; they mu<i hiv moa the half shell with cayenne. An Englishman wants his fun smothered deep in mint s^uce, aud he iz willing tew wait till ftho next; day before he taste* it. If you tickle or convince au Aineriksn, yu hay got tew do it quick. An American luv« tew laff, but he don't Juv tew mtke a bizziness of it ; he works, eals, and hawhawi oa a canter. I guess thu English hay more wit and the Auierikans more humour. We hav'nt had tune yet to bile down onr humonr and git the wit out ov it. The English are beter punsters, but 1 konsidcr punning a sort of literary iaknphiso, in which future happynesß iz awopped oph for tho plezzure ov tho inomeut. There iz one thing i har noticed ; evryboddy that writes expecks tew bo wize or witty— ao doz evryboddy expect tow be saved when they die ; but there iz good reason tew believe that the goata hereafter will be in tne majority, juat az the •heep are here. D mt lorgit one thing, yu hay got tew be wize before yu kan bo witty ; and don't forgit lico things, a single paragraft' h»z made sum men lininortal, while a volume au/ bia wuss than a pile-driver tew othors.'