The loafer iz a human being who iz willing tew be dispized just for the privilege ov abuzing others. He occupys all grades in sosiety, from the judge on the bench klean doun to the ragged thing in britches who leans aginst a lamp-post and fites flys in August. He haz hiz circle ov friends, whare hiz koarse jests are re-echoed, and whare to be in hiz konfidence iz konsidered an honor. He iz not alwus destitute ov kommon sense, and quite often iz the author ov jests which pass upon the unwary for humor and even wit. He haz no pride that is worthy, and haz no delikasy that enny boddy kan hurt. During hiz boyhood he kills kats and sells their hides to the hatters, and robs all the hens’ nests and arly apple trees in the naborhood. During hiz middle life he begs all the tobacco he uses, and drinks all the cheap whisky he kan at sumboddy else’s expense. During hiz old age he winters in the alms-houses, and summers in the sugar hogsheds, and when he comes tew die he iz 342 buried in a dich, like an omnibus hoss, with hiz old shoes on. This iz a trew ackount ov the life and adventures ov the ordinary loafer, and yet there are thousands ov human kritters coming onto the platform ov life every six months whoze only ambishun iz to be successful loafers. The loafer kares nothing for publik opinyun, and this alone, will make any man a loafer. The loafer rather covets disgrace ov all kinds, and when a man gits az low down az this, he haz got az low down az he kan git without digging. THE PROJEKTOR.The projektor iz a man with one idee, and that idee iz often like a paving stun, the hardest kind ov a thing tew hatch out, and when it iz hatched out, yu kan’t alwus tell what kind ov a breed the thing iz. He haz been bizzy at work for the last 4 thousand years trieing tew bild perpetual moshun, and haz cum within 3 quarters ov an inch ov it sevral times, but alwus slips up jist az he reaches out tew grab it. He haz dun sum dredful good things for mankind, but too often iz ov no more use in the world, than an extra pump iz. The projektor iz alwus a man ov genius, but hiz genius iz frequently like the genius ov a goose, thare ain’t no one kan beat them at standing on one legg. I hav known theze breed ov pholks tew drag out a long life, richer in their own estimashun than Croesus, and poorer in the opinyun ov others than Lazarus. They seldum reap enny gain from their invenshuns, and if ever they do diskover perpetual moshun, they will sell the principle tew sum kunning kuss, for 17 or 18 dollars, and starve tew death on the glory ov it. I hav known several ov these poor phellows in mi life, and only knew them tew pitty them, for they are az tender, all over, az spring lam, and az eazy tew cheat az a blind baby. I hav a friend who iz a projektor. I kant tell what partikular pholly he iz at work at now, but sum one I am sure, for 343 thare aint on the whole arth, a more bizzy kritter than the man, who iz sure that to-morrow will put the finishing touches tew hiz pattent rite plan, for threading the rong end ov a kambrik needle, or his resipee for making soft sope out ov calfs liver. But we kant spare the projektors, all that we can hope for iz, that too menny ov them wont spend a whole life in making a juse harp that will play Yankee doodle backwards, and finally die, and leave the tune haff finished. THE KONDEM PHOOL.Thare iz two kinds ov phools, at the date ov this article, laying around loose in the world, one iz the natral, and the other iz the kondem. Thare iz sum other kind ov phools besides these, which I shall tutch lightly before I git thru. The natral phool kant help it, he iz born like the daizy, bi the side ov the road, just to nod, and to be sport for the winds. He haz no destiny to phill, that we know ov, but hiz Heavenly Father will care for him, for He cares for the koarse weed and the rank thissell. The kondem phool iz a self-made man, and iz entitled tew all the credit ov the job. Natur turns him out loose into the world, jist as she duz her other works, with all hiz fakultys in good order, but like a ram in a bak lot, he undertaiks tew knok down a stun fence with hiz head, and finds the stun fence too much for the ockashun. He often haz a hed phull ov branes, but like a swarm ov beeze, they keep up sich a buzzing they bewilder him. The kondem phool generally lacks but one thing tew make him all the the suckcess he could ask for, and that one thing iz common sense. Common sense iz all greek tew these kind ov phellows, they kan often rite poetry that reads az smooth and sweet az ile and molassis mixt together, and kan even deliver lekturs all around the kuntry, but one dose ov common sense would 344 take all the starch out ov them, and leave them az limpsey az the nek ov a ded goslin. The kondem phool iz the kauze ov most all trubble thare iz in this world, he ain’t alwus malishus, but iz alwus a phool. I divide the populashun ov the whole world into 2 heaps, and out ov respect for the parable ov the virgins in the bible, i call 5 ov them wize and 5 ov them foolish. It is verry easy tew be a kondem phool, enny boddy kan be one, and not suspekt it. Thare iz a large invoice ov phools just now pressing upon the market, but the market for them iz stiddy, the demand alwus being phull up tew the supply. I rekolekt ov onst saying, upon a memorabel ockashun, (i dont rekolek the ockashun now,) God bless the phools, and don’t let them run out, for if it want for them, the rest ov the world would be bothered tew git a good living. Among the list ov prominent phools, i take the liberty tew introduce the following: The “Profeshional Phool,” one who travels for a living. The “Wag Phool,” one who is a phool on private ackount. The “Bizzness Phool,” one who either Bulls or Bears everything in the market. The “Radikal Phool,” one who kant help it. The “Conservatiff Phool,” one who kan help it, but wont. The “Meek Phool,” one who sez he prefers kodphish bawls to porterhous stakes, or even quales on toast. The “Hipreshure Phool,” one who, like the hornet, alwus keeps mad in advance, so az tew be reddy for the ockashun. The “Silly Phool,” one who thinks the whole civilized world iz in luv with him. The “Wise Phool,” one who thinks he knoze all things, and luvs everyboddy. And four thousand, 3 hundred and 36 other distinkt kinds ov phools, which i haint got the pashunce tew elucidate now. THE PRECISE MAN.The “Precise Man,” sumtimes parts hiz hare in the middle, And when he duz, he kounts the hairs on each side ov hiz hed, 345 and splits sum, if it iz necessary, tew make the thing ded even. If he iz a marrid man, everything must be jist so—if he iz a bachelor it must be more so. He alwus sets a hen on 12 eggs, and haz a grate horror for all odd numbers. He gits up at jist sitch a time in the morning, and goes tew bed at jist sitch a time at night, and would as soon think ov taking a dose ov striknine for the hikcups az tew kut oph a dogs tale when the moon waz in the laste quarter. The precise man haz but phew branes, and they are az well broke az a setter dog’s, for he seldum makes a false point. He iz a bundle of fakts and figgers, and iz az handy in the naberhood az a pair ov platform skales or a reddy rekoner. He iz invariably an honest man, but often az mutch from pride az from principle. He luvs hiz children, if he haz any, and would rather hav them perfekt in the multiplikashun table than in the Illiad ov Homer. Hiz wife iz soon broke tew akt and think az he duz, and she iz known fur and near for the excellence ov her softe sope. The laste thing he alwus duz Saturday night iz tew grease hiz boots, and the fust thing Sunday morning iz tew wind up the old wodden klok in the kitchen. He iz generally respekted during life, and after he iz ded and gone hiz children keep his fame fresh by pointing out with pride the korner whare his kane alwus stood and peg whare his hat alwus hung. |