THE LOAFER IN THE STREET.

Lyttelton Times, Volume XXXV, Issue 3199, 15 April 1871, Page 2

THE LOAFER IN THE STREET.

Heavens and earth! when is it to end ? The bombardmentof Paris to it.: No sooner were,we congratulating ourselvts upon having got safe out of the reach ot lire, than we are tvken aback in quite another direction. After, having esckpCddestrnotion by the big guns-of the gentlemen who do the Vogel and Rollestonbnsinessin the Frew, and. then crept away on bauds and knees ‘from the galling fire of half a-doxen snarling mitrailleuses served by the awkward squad of “ correspondents,” we are brought up all standing by the.. -sudden unmask* tag of a, whole .battery of pop guns and piea-sbooters, Under the. [command of no less a person than' the “ Loafer in the Street.” On reading the first paragraph of bis paper—that was qnite enough—our gererons soul melted in pityk at the thought that so innocent a pen should ever be dipped in the bitter gall of controversy. May we suggest to “ Loafer ” that he is not made of the stuff required of those whp fight even paper battles, and that he hCd- bcitter stick to hia last.” Already he is the joy of each “ young man’s mutual admiration society,” and the idol of every boarding-school miss in the town. Who pan read that charming paper," A j jurney to it he lighthouse,” without the purest and most quisite fadings of delight? In that idngle effort of genial we recognise the rich descriptive powers and sportive fancy of Dickens, the racy humour of Hood,' the polish of Thackeray’s veiled satire,; the pungent sarcasm of Marcus Clarke, and the lofty moral tone of Tapper. In that famous paper may bo found something of all these, and very little of either. The thought rises unbidden, why. should such brilliant talent be hidden in a dirty, scanty little colonial napkin? Why don’t “ Loafer ” try the metropolis of the world ? ■ Fortunately there is qnite a ran in London just now on all kinds of oolonial talent. : Why shouldn’t “ Loafer " go t^efeand "read” bit own dalfgbtful little bijoux of papers ? They say Tnpper it qnite a draw with his—then, why not “Loafer”? WeCan fancy him in St. James* Hail with his elegant figure' arrayed in a velveteen jumper—all yonng authors wear velveteen Jumper*—with his fair hair, hit bine eyes, and. MstatsUectaal forehead—all am who write

like “ Loafer ” have fair hair, blue eyes, and what they call intellectuaL|oreheads— we can picturos|b bis audience to tears and twfttTtlliiir ildls with laughter. True we can Ha|mpd toidie “ Loafer,” but - theq the will be rewarded by defense of w|&pbs.