SLIPS OF THE PEN.

The wizest thing about a man iz hiz conscience--edukashun don't improve

it.

If yu want tew find out the ruling pashun ov a hoss, feed him high on

oats--it iz jiss so with mankind.

Az a gineral rule, the best way iz tew decide yureself what bizness in

life it iz best for yure yung one tew foller, and then stick him at it

while he iz limber--men alwus pole vines before they begin tew run

mutch.

The only way for me to git out ov a tight spot iz tew git into it fust.

Sum folks kan tell exackly how a thing feels by not tuching it, but I

kant.

The more babes in a family, the eazier and better they are raized--one

chicken alwus makes an old hen more clucking and scratching than a duzen

duz.

It takes an uncommon smart man, now-daze, tew make money by telling the

truth--it iz aktually an evidense ov genius.

It iz a very small spot in the lightning bug's tail that shines; it iz

the darkness ov the nite that makes it so brilliant--it iz jist so with

virtew.

Nussing revenge iz like missing a yung hedgehog--the older he grows, the

sharper hiz quills.

The good man iz like an old-fashioned Nu England clock--hiz soul iz the

pendulem whose regular moshuns giv life and grace tew hiz hands and

face, thus showing the good works that are inside ov him.

Most ov the epitaffs on the tombstuns read like gideboards tew the grate

citty, and without them a great menny would take the wrong road.

Most people travel to see and be seen; but few to compare.

Fools are telling us (confidensally) "_that time is short_," but the

diffikulty lies not in the shortness ov time so mutch az it duz in the

length ov the fools.

Children are kut down like the yung wheat, to ripen; old people are

gathered like the golden grain, to be ground and bolted.

The only way tew truli enjoy ennything iz tew be willing tew quit it

when the bell rings.

Time iz like a fair wind--if we don't set our sails, we looze that

breeze forever.

We are often ridikuled for telling old truths. The 10 commandments are

old enuff tew be wore out with truth; but who follers them?

Take man, from Adam down to April fool 1868, and i would respekfully

ask, if he ain't a ded beat? Iz thare a single pashun ov hiz natur, up

to date, that yu kan take the halter ov civil law off from, and turn it

out to grass?

Waking up in the morning, to a virtuous man, iz the same thing az being

born agin.

"Necessity iz the mother ov invenshun," and _Pattent Wright_ iz the

father.

It dun me good to hear a poor brute whinner in Broadway yesterday. I waz

glad that thare waz one stage hoss in New York citty whoze heart wasn't

dead broke.

Death iz the only thing in this life that iz certain; and even that

ain't always a safe investment.

Rumor iz a vagrant without a home, and lives upon what it kan pick up.

The gratest viktory for mankind that hav ever bin won, hav bin won by

the rod and the katechism.

The lion and the lamb may, possibly, sumtime lay down in this world

together for a fu minnits, but when the lion kums tew git up, the lamb

will be missing.

Chastity iz like glassware--too much frost in it makes it more brittle.

Virtew, backed up by courage, iz the perfekshun ov human natur. I don't

reckon mercy nor pity always amung the virtews; they are often only

amable weaknesses. Justis iz the square root ov awl the virtews. I

wouldn't hav enny mercy nor pitty hove out for rubbish; neither would i

hav a man think, bekauze he melts at the anguish ov the viscious, that

it iz virtew that ails him.

Bachelors are alwus a braggin ov their freedom!!--freedom to darn their

own stockings, and poultiss their own shins! I had rather be a widdower

once in 2 years, reglar, than tew be a grunting, old, hair-dyed bachelor

only for 90 days.

The lazyest man that i kan think ov now, waz Israel Dunbar, ov

Billingsville. He dried up a new milch cow in milkin her 3 times, and

planted an aker of beans, last spring, awl in one hill. He iz 45 years

old, and hain't had the meazles yet; he haz alwus bin too lazy tew ketch

them. He had one son, who was jist like him. This boy died when he waz

18 years old, in crossing a korn-field; the punkin-vines took after him

and smothered him to death.

The Complete Works of Josh Billings · 第 190 / 401 题