The daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1873-1877, 1876-02-11
vincent's Lecture,

vincent's Lecture,
The lecture of Henry Vincent, in this
city, under the auspices of our Athletic
Club, notice of which has already ap-
peared in this paper. abounded IN word
pictures and apt illustrations exposing the
follies and weaknesses of men and women,
and commencing to all the idea of work.
in some form. in order to lead independent,
honorable snd useful lives. His sarcastic
raillery of that class of wives who are
always sick, have no appetite but are eat
ing all the time, who keep their husbands
in misery and poverty all their days by
whining about something, instead of going
to work and making the best of everything.
will scarcely be forgotten by those who
listened to it and laughed about it. His
commentator Of the women who are good
feeders and honest takers was excellent.
And his picture of monied upstairs who
feel themselves better than other people
was capital You have met Mrs. Smith"
said he, not at Rock Island! of course /
except Rock Island, but you have met her
somewhere else. grandly dressed, and vain
of the money her husband has suddenly
earned. She says to her husband, John,
we mustn't consort with these common peo-
pie any more; they amt heightened
enough for us-we must build big house
up town and paint it yellow, and call it
Lavender Lodge" She cuts her old
acquaintance on the street and takes on
AIRS" The daughters learn to play the
piano and to speak French which nobody
understands, and sheer at people less
| wealthy than themselves. Old Smith
made candles, but if you ask young Smith,
| the jeweled dandy who wears eye glasses
and apes aristocratic airs, why he is never
at the candle-f factory, he will tell you with
the well simulated drawl of an English
exquisite-'Ah, Ya-as, you see, never
could bear the smell of tallow. Father
attends to that' And if you should
criticise the custard to the young ladies',
they will tell you 'ah, Ma attends to that,
you know. She can't bear to see us in the
kitchen. 1t isn't lady-like' do not say
YOU have any such families in Rock Island,
but you know they do exist What sor,
1
claim have these bejeweled dandies to be
called men?
Then there is the man who goes to
church, hears a sermon that he only wishes
Jones could be present to hear, because il
would do Jones just so much coed. But
you have 10 such families 10 Rock Island
there may be some across the water you
KNOWN Davenport for example
| Larghter) and you think my remarks
would do them so much good if they were
only here to hear them.
| But, give me the folks who have al
ambition to do something useful, They
are worth all the handles and dolls il
existence. For instance, my wife loves t
Igather in the street waits and put them tt
trades. One day she said:
Henry, have got an urchin who i:
not a Jail bird. He has been in eyer,
work house in the city. l want you to ge
him situation. "
| She introduced him. He had legs like
cork-screws, hair on his head unkept anc
tangled as door mat rags all over, and
face black as professional chimne'
sweeps.
MY good fellow" said do you wisl
to learn trade?'
Il do, sir"
What trade?
/ Here his face frightened up, his ey
CLEANED with joy, he looked on me as
| could be the greatest benefactor in tn
world to him, and then he said, with al
air of passionate imploring and suprem
consciousness of manifest destiny"
i ''Sir-L- should like to-be-a-
scduenger
II easily procured him an assistant
, berth in the cleansing" department o
Westminster. Some months afterwards
passed in front Ct Whitehall Palace, an,
there was my little man, plying his broom
sweeping away the mud and the filth wit
as much care and pride as ever Michae
Angelo handled his brush, His heart wa
in bis work. He was laboring with wi
: to make everything all around as cleanl
= as he could. | met him often afterwards
and it was always treat to witness th
enthusiastic air of satisfaction with whic
!. he piled his daily vocation. The worl
r has room tor every variety of occupation
e and SO long as mel are doing their bes
o let us wish them God speed.
Honour and shame from no condition rise;
Actwell your past, there all the honour lies
Worth makes the mar, and want of it the felloy
The rest is all but leather and prunella.