THE VULGAR BLACKSMITH

Observer, Volume 3, Issue 67, 24 December 1881, Page 236

THE VULGAR BLACKSMITH

By "SHORTFELLOW."

Dedicated to the Free Liau akd Penny Ananias.

Inside a wretched, reeking den The vulgar blacksmith scrawls ; The smith, a low-bred brute is he, Who in the gutter crawls ; And the drivelling of his addled brain The reader's soul appals. His style is coarse, foul-mouthed, and rank His grammar Stygian ; The low, illiterate mountebank, He earns whate'er he can, And dares not look you in the face, For he owes to every man. Week in, week oiit, on Saturday night You can read his vulgar " blow ;" You can see him spit his fretful spite In language vile and lowLike a fish-hag's filthy Billingsgate, Or a big blue-bottle's blow. And loafers coming down the lane Go in and buy his rag; They love to read his style profane, And laugh at his loud brag, And catch the slanderous slang that comes Like venom from a bag. He goes on Fridays to the Bank And begs another loan, Like some poor cur, all lean and lank, That sits up for a bone. In doing their vile, dirty work His mean soul's not his own. The sound of that dread banker's voice Ho never dare despise ; He needs must scrawl — he has no choice— And must invent fresh lies, And cudgel his poor brains to earn The dole that Bank sux>plies. Begging, pandering, slandering, Onward through life he scrawls ; Each morning sees some lie begun, Each eve some poison falls — Like some vile reptile tbat pollutes The air in which he crawls. Shame ! shame on you, you wretched hack, And the Press you prostitnte ' To your grimy smithy forge go back, You vile, illiterate brute ! And on the sounding' anvil drown The words that now pollute. G-o and see Grooclson's Christinas presents afc the London Arcade— vide advertisement next week. No. 3 Company Auckland Volunteers will give a concert and fancy dress ball in the Choral Hall on New Year's night. Everyone should go and see the Three Threes at the Occidental Hotel, the Three Monstrosities, and the Three Living Wonders— vi tic advertisement next week. Mr E. C. Greenwood will liold (under instructions from Mr K. Graham) an important sale at the Ellerslie Gardens on January 7th, immediately after the arrival of the 2 p.m. train from Auckland. The property consists of the Ellerslie Gardens and a number of other desirable properties. Mr Eafton, the well-known basket maker, of Grey-street, has for sale, as Christmas presents, some of the neatest articles we have seen in the way of basketwure. Some ladies work-baskets and picnic baskets are really handsomely got up, and form a great attraction to passers-by. The shop-window is well worth inspection. Messrs Munro and Milligan, the well-known drapers and clothiers, whose introduction of the time payment system is proving s(ich an unqualified success, have moved from tha Karangahape-road to extensive new premises in Hobsou-street, where they ai-e offering a splendid stock of Christmas novelties on extraordinaryfavourable terms. " Shipped in good order by J. and E. Morley, on board the srood ship Coroinandel, 4 cases merchandise, to be delivered to J. M. McLachlan, importer, 222, Queen-street, or to his assigns, in like good order. In witness whereof the master has signed three bills of lading. Dated in London, 31st August, 1881. (Signed) W. Hendry." These goods will be opened for the Christmas holidays, and consist of ladies' summer hosiery, 6d to 6s ; India gauze flannel, 2s lid ; silk umbrellas, 6s lid to 20s ; black silk velvet, 4s 6d to 12s 6d; new linen collars and new scaafs for gentlemen ; also, a job lot of summer dresses at 61d, worth Is 6d ; and 1200 yards at Is, original price 2s 6d. This last line is of very superior quality. Send for patterns. A few days ago a couple, evidently sweethearts, were observed seated in the Domain, with their hands clasped together. Three of our sporting fraternity passing along noticed the hand-clasped pair, and one jocularly remarked, " I'll bet 5 to 10 in shillings they remain like this for an hour." The bet was taken, and the three watched the loving couple. The day was rather close and sultrj , but they still sat and watched, and there seemed every possibility of the sporting man winning his wager, when presently the young man said to his fair companion, " Dearest Julia, will you release my hand for a momen ? there's a bug crawling down my back, and I can't keep my thoughts on you and bugs at the same time." Singleton, the jeweller, has supplied the wedding ring, so the hand-clasping business is over.