LOAFERS I HAVE MET.

Mataura Ensign, Volume 6, Issue 305, 13 November 1883, Page 2

LOAFERS I HAVE MET.

[By One of T3bm.;| n. ' Having, now sufficiently described myself, I shall proceed to my promised delineation of some of those IJiave met. I think I mentioned" thaVairptofessiotiiTare incJu'ded in our ranks. See yon shuffling, -bleared object approaching. That man was once a doctorin a good position. Hia attire is of superior out a,nc|. texture, but n.qw sho,ws a.t every seam the i wanf of care of the wearer-. He has not be,eu.' shaved for a fortnight, norfcas hia neck beeneneircled by ,a collar, jaoL hia ooat is buttonediug to, the ohm tp hide the filtluness of hisshfrt*,- /Sisbobts are4nthe last stage of dilapidation, and the only~remnants*of his former respectability are the walking, stick he carries in his hand and the napless and dinted belltopper on his head. His dirty hands cannot keep still a moment 5 a '<jonstant twiddling qf th,e fingers and anooocasterna,! gpagmodlo movement of his hands show that " colonial she-oak" has nearly done its work. If an acquaintance whoknew him in prosperous days meets him. an.d, hi consideration of the man/s education stops to exohange salutations, he will notice a twitch\x\g of the eyelids and a frequent dropping of the corners of the m.out|\ a.n,q will with pity read tha.t paratysis is not far off. Hi's whole desire- is to get more drink ; it is for that he loafs and it is that which is most surely killing him. . .He scarcely ever has any money and what he does, get is only a'sraa.!! fee far advice from those, who, from the nature of tke}r djs'ease, are ashamed to go.' to a regula? pra^titipiier. • 'I have' often wjpndered -.how.-ii 13' thair ; sufferers of this -iescriptio'ri '-seek medioal adviqe in this,»direction. No sooner does a medical man commit some offenc? which^ ostracises him from, tfee janl^s of hia hrethr^' thftn lie b,ecoinea the; adviser. in cflges of this kind., the way, I have J often in my numerous peregrinations enjcountered men pf this, description who. owed theii'j reputation, for talent; to -some gteat fault. We of- the .loafing ]'.'. fraternity are acute judges of human nature, ani . I have, noticed that ,. directly ■ a .-man In any profession, .g^ts ; the-, .Tiamd ', t of doing .something not generally ;' considered .quite tijetiiing, he jpecdmes. jn the eye of the ai pollbi'as an, extremely talented person.^ . ;in the society in, which I mii,nq remark ij| more been- in; a good p'ositioal now, .'.if hb: :had; tipljr minded himself. I .' however,- these; Jare only interjectory reflections. What. I« wanl more particularly to describe Jis the modife .tyevabdiot: what I might, call the inedicaj . loafer. .-By ; the- .time he rhas .reached" .' :tho .he:hM given, up thj» ir^-J.^ary VngageniW.l' ; b.i^ine|!S?< .iEft,^ ; ' IPP^ev reUlctftntl^ tw^B r djrjnjj with tJj'j

remark that he must be off. He either boldly asks if you. are goiug to shout—^ba^-' as, if he has been an acquaintance ; or if yj&ji &tg a stranger he beguiles you, should |§ii dtianoe to be sitting in;, the inevitable lifwjßi^omJbehind the bar, into.conversa'twnv iSe •^eginSj as all Britons-'dS; bp a re^rlc abbtiti tJ\ti weather. You reply i$ :com^)|ipla63.B> Ne^t comes the mornin^'s^iewsl^uat fad yesterday. H^wj^e sa^ £he,oiiri- x y^P^&J&^Pi a °d what' *Jp>im«ifle t^tepral^ made of the description of his injuplis. WtVt rthvirHty. -" The .iferno cleirto masMtfaluti&wp vjioro, while the pectoral™ inferior lies just? here; I have known a few^technical-torms .thrown out at random to secure one of this guild at least three dnnks. When your .patience is, exhausted; and you have gone*, ho either lies in wait for! another victimjillus-traiing-ihe*spide/"?and* c ihe'" !! fly**f ab)ef or should his '• drouth. V.ri. overcome him he watches when the landlord is not in the bar and asks the barmaid tor e^ 'Ismail whisky," . " ahd don't put it down on the'slate. 1 I'll ; give it to you .next time." Then he glides i forth, and in some n ther pub. to which he is; still allowed admittance repeats the process ad lib." In this way he- lives from-. day2£o day. Eating/ irregularly, but drinking re-; cularly, the liquor wears into his vitals and' he is finally heard t of as: being ♦•• RlushyV'^ati some hotel or station aud becomes lost tjb,£he gaze'of such aristocratic' nfembefa of the ■ trade as myself. -■ I : have, however, gained from an h»mble friend an insight into hi 3 manners and customs" in his most "redftced state, and shall present, them, for my! reader's edification in the next article. . ,'