New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1868-01-23

1hukSeS, WHOs pAtyAnB mas NA1AtNSN'
10 his relief. But dress doesn't make the
man. Bill strutted in his new clothes like
a militia colonel before Bull Run, but all
to no effect. Money could cover his back,
but money couldn't again restore his
brains to his skull. They had all oozed
out and disappeared. Poor Tom he never
had many at first, but then they were his
brains, and little, and weak, and full Of twad-
die as they were he thought as much Of them
as an old hen of her one breken-legged
little chicken. OF course, with the loss Of
his brains Bill lost all that is supposed to
accompany or constitute them. Memory
went, and then his reflective and pereep-
tive powers failed him, and with the loss Of
these faculties reason took her flight, and
nothing remained to Bill bnt a little pig
headed will that of its own momentum car
| ried him into the mud and slime, and all
the filthy holes and slums of politics, until
like a miserable hog as he is, his hide be-
came covered many inches deep with
foul matter, so deep that the original color
of his new clothes could not be ascertained.
The board Of health, we understand, fear
ing that his foul person might breed a pes
thence sent for the best fire company in
the city and ordered it to play upon him
with its steam engine whole week; but
water had no effect. The board then dis
charged the fire company, and sent for a
druggist who tried three earboys Of oil ofvit-
riOl and two of nitric acid. The oil of vitriol
rolled of like the water, but the nitric acid
made Poor Bill squirm, so much so that he
began to swear that the 'convenshun" had
him in its grip, and were going to make
sausage meat Of him before it got through.
We said memory was the first faculty that
| fed from Poor Bills brain. No amount of
proofin the world will lead Poor Bill to
admit that the aoarpet-baggers' he now
thinks SO little Of two or three years ago
saved him from the woIkhouse. He can
not remember anything about it. The fact
that Bill had to pawn his carpet-bsg makes
him envious of all who managed to carry
theirs up the steps of irst-class hotels
Bill, toe, stood at the bottom of the steps
iu those days with shoebrush in his hands,
calling out TO every one who came down,
BLACK your boots, sir? Only FIVE cents"
Bill can not remember anything about it.
What pity he has lost his memory. 1t is
one of the first symptoms of senility. And
then the loss of memory makes one appear
so ungrateful when they are not really SO
by nature. It seems ungenerous,
mean, inhuman, devilish to for
get those to whom you are deeply
indebted for all you have in the world
And people, Bill, will say you are so,
whether your friends prove the loss of
your brains or not. So long as q man
dresses we'll people give him credit for
having brains, and since the board of
health got hold of you, with nitric acid
we admit, Bill, that you look well
enough, and we would be williRg to walk
with you in the street if police officer ac-
compauied us to see that you didn't pick
our pockets.
We compared you to Poor Tom in Lear, -
Bill. We must apologize to Poor Tom for
putting him in such company. Poor Tom
was of noble birth, Of noble nature, and
beneath his rags, and in spite of his naked
ness, a noble soul constantly manifested it.
self But you, Bill, were mean in your
rags, and are now mean in your wealth,
and in all your acts obey the laws of mean
ness nature implanted in your body at your
birth.
Poor Tom in Lear" Again we beg his
pardon. In his rags and assumed madness he
would command more respect than you,
Bill, in all the robes of Solomon; and to
conclude, we had rather be the meanest
negro in the convention and black shoes
for a living thaA the miserable rebel flankey
of Camp street, living in all the pride Of
his meanness and treachery on his thirty
pieces Of silver.