Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1881-06-03
Demaralized venezuelans.
THE SOCIAL TRAITS OF A LAZY PEOPLE.

lCOr. New York TlmeS.l
The canse that lies down deep under all
themisery and decentralization of Nenez-
uela, the rottenness ont of which springs
the foul fungus of her government, is the
incifable ond unconquerable laziness OF
her people. They are too lazy to work
10 better their social condition too lazy
to think what are the impulses that are
pushing their country to ruin too lazy
to fight to relieve themselvesof of an incum-
bus like the administration Of Guzman
Banco. OF course there are exceptions
TO the rule-a very few of tho highest
class. who, have enjoyed the advantages
of education and travel abroad, are capa-
BILE of thinking and willing TO work, and
n good many of tbs lowest class, misera-
bly, poor devils, who have to work very
hard to get along. But the vast majori-
ty, including all the middle class. are no
more firmly grounded in any article of
their pious faith than in that which
brands labor as the original curse.
A foreign gentleman of my acquaint-
ancc, residing i'll Puerto Cabello, started
ont one day for n long walk to visit
friend in the country. When he was
about midway of his journey violent
rainstorm overlook him, and before he
could reach any place of shelter he was
thoroughly drenched. The first roof he
could get to was miserable adobe hovel.
An old crone sat mumbling over the
smoking embers of n small fire OH the
open hearth by the door. Her husband
and one daughter were present. The son,
the pride of the family, was away. The
place was almost entirely destitute of fur
niture. They could only give rickety
stool to their visitor to sit upon, and 1t
required some study and observation to
find place for it where one of the many
rivulets from the broken roof would not
pour down the back of his neck. But,
poor, as they were, they greeted him hos
pitably, did their best TO make him COM
Portable, and the old woman, taking as
text their inability to give him any better
seat that the stool, entertained him by
protracted remarks upon their poverty.
Long and steadily the rain poured
down i'll torrents, after the fashion 1t has
i'll this country when it once gets start
ed. All the rich land in sight from the
hovcl, the old woman said, belonged to
them, but what good was it? They
could not eat it; it only yielded them the
bananas, that grew of their own accord,
down by the beautiful little river, n short
distance from the door. Finally, think
ing that he might give them II valuable
suggestion for the improvement of their
condition, the visitor said: Why do you
not clear off that broad strip of rich land
this side of the river and plant it in vcge-
tables for the Puerto Cabcllo market
You could always get good price for
anything YOU would raise That soil would
yield immensely; the river is handy
enough to irrigntc in dry season, and
AHA That's the song you sing, Is
it 2" exclaimed the old woman, her eyes
flaming with wrath You are one of
these foreigners who come here and want
to set us to work. You want us to be
your slaves" Not at all my good wom-
an. ] WAS only trying to point ont to you
a means for comfortable and happy indie
pendence" ''Yes, by work work You
want us to he slaves and work Work
if you like ; ii is good enough for the like
of you. Why didn't You stay in your
own country and work? What business
have You got here anyway? am sorry
| let you come into my house out OF the
rain. Get out Go about your business
Find somebody else to he your slaves
You won't find any here. for we are Ven
zuclans, free as the air. The ram was yet
pouring down ;S heavily as ever, but nc
was clad to start out i'll it once more to
escape the viragns tongue, and as he
- .....t...l 1 ,,o,.o,
tr'tiS'h hoiht"'iii hc tsoNei h''
again to wound the scnslbIlities of anoth-
cr noble Venezuelan, "frce rs the air,
hy prppuslun the DEGRADATION of work.
ELEdY IN ARLINGTON CEMETERY, WASHING
IoN, u "
~ WILLIAM wIsTEE.
Ir,,,l, y,, th.,, deeds o'rr whom our heart. ARE
weeping -, . -, .. , ~ 4,
'aie hu,a inc" iah'' III all "'h io'e n"'
., ilal7' -,, L. ,,., ,,,, la, a., .i.,.,.,,,,,
"ilpNen ths ,''u VI N'i''n "',i '',s @ 70 ,,. n.'I &
hd57
Ah once Tor them Nouu,. Hone unveiled hcr splei-
dor :
| An once for them Time ran In golden sands.
| They knew ah"'ii"n accents, soft and tender
| 1hcb f'l' Inc touch of loving lips AMI hands.
~ ~ - q" "a ~ ~, az W, =" 49, *" i,"uS
~ W. ~ VI Pl' ,, m , Wv " W u, ~
| They heard n and they answered they are ,,u-
| The midnight wind was cold upon their face
/ Pale IN ihr silcnc" nf the crimson sod;
""' VINO s"1ii P'ih' t'i""t" ""a' i'nP'e"'e"'
! ., SPhr'a ,.,,,,
! i"''i 9""'7 P'''S "P"''" y" '"' "k"' VI "'"
Xo mare f,r tb,,n IN summer twtlipht's plimner.