, 1865-03-31
A LECTURE for Loafers

Stand up here, my lazy rascals, and let US
reason about your daily vocatiOns. Hold up
your sheepish heads and say why sentence Of
the most unqualified condemnation should not
be passed upon your conduct. How can you
possibly have impudence to stretch your lazy
bones on store boxes or block up the post Office
with your carcasses, to the no small annoyance
of busy working people who are engaged in
some useful occupation How can you be con-
tent to Hpass away the time in lounging around
the streets only shifting to avoid the rays of the
sun-in company with your equally lazy and
useless companions, the dogs, perchance once
in awhile setting your canine friend to fight for
the sake Of gratifying your brutal love of fun
and how can you have the unblushing imperti-
nence to gaze under any lady's bonnet, who is
compelled to pass by, and just before she is
quite out of hearing, indulge in your vulgar
propensities by remarSing "whata gait" "what
big feet, or ''what a stuck-up air" and turning
to one of your companions, inquire of him how
he'd like to hitch horses with that feminine for
lifeY You poor fools, don't you know that in
stead of critcizing lady's gait, you ought to
be at home mendng your garden gate2 And
that no sensible femininewin hitch horses with
any of you, as long as you pursue your present
business?
Do you suppose that you were made for no
other purpose than to "loaf" and hinder indus
trious people by asking unmeaning questions, or
sLdnulug III IueH Wayl Anu 40 you Inlnk lL ue-
cdedly sharp when you hail gentleman who
is hurrying about his business and asking him if
he is walking for wages, which you will get some
day if you don't mend your ways, i. e. free
boarding in the poor house, or you may be pro-
NOTED to the high rank of private in the peni-
tentiary. Time may hang heavily with you
now but you may hang heavily in time, if you
do not bestir yourself and be useful.
Do you imagine that you were created to do
nothing, and that brains were put into your
great pumpkin heads for the poor use you make
Of them? Do you think it honorable to do
nothing because your fathers have enough to
support you, when you know what they have,
they got by honest industry? And do you sup
pose your mother and sisters were sent into this
world to cook meals and wash shirts for such
worthless beings as you are
And when night comes where do we see. you
at? Why about the groceries and lager beer
saloons Of course There you post yourself
and making it rule to ask any working man
who may chance to come in and who has earned
few shillings in the course of the day, to
''treat," at the same time urge as a reason that
he is the only man in the crowd that is making
any money. And then after you have sponged
enough off a clever fellow, to>Hlelle night hide
GUS with beastly shouts you fHallylay down in
some gutter with your equally respectable com
panions, the hogs.
Now amt you q beautiful set of fellows p
Felons we ought to call you Your brazea IA
ces ought to be covered with shame with the
idea of degrading your poor human nature in
I this manner, especially when you acknowledge
that it is awful burden do 50. Then go 70
work like men, or else take arsenic and make
yourselves of some use, by giving the printer a
chance to publish your departure under the head
of suicide. That's so.