Daily national era. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1854, 1854-01-25
For the National Era.
THE LITTLE SHOEMAKER.

Brisk is the air without, and brisk my little
stove, keeping time with the frets and puffs Of
it's friend, the wind. A jolly little stove it al
ways il, affording the cheeriest company Of an
evening; but busiest. at midnight when tho
great family Of mankind are laid asleep, and
its roommate is silently Counting the hours
over mysterious tones by the still taper.light.
In this whirtling winter weather, ones iron
friend is not TO be scoffed at, especially it, like
mine, it has proper habits, and is not given to
smoking. OFT have exclaimed to myself in
voluntarily, How beautiful is fire blessed be
the hung fame!v Wherever il shines, il is a
glory on the earth and we worship it with
awe in confagration. IL makes the stove
chatty and warm, and pleasant to talk by,
without which how ridiculous is the frame Of
cold iron
The curtains are down; the lamp lit and
bright; the stove CHEEKY and it is ten of the
evening hour. The shops are all closed there
is not window but is blank--the wind alone
Is awake IL blows at zero; and every living
thing, even "the owl, which for all her feath-
ers is a-cold, }" is doused and silent. Wo TO the
wandercr il he in weak Of nerve, or ill-clad, OF
far away Yet there is q taper burning. the
sound Of labor heard, and will be heard, as
usual, till late in the nights hours.
Below stairs Il occupy an upper halfstory
OF tho buildng) little shoemaker is engaged.
For an hour has he been alone, and busy on n
No. Kill "stoga,D which seems larger than
himself The door ajar, have good chance
to observe his movements. A large family Of
little ones are dependent upon his cobbling for
support; and as he is, q slow worker, and q
small-ludiorously small--man, and partially
blind, i requires him to labor longer than the
more favored to fill days work, and 90 the
..s.hk -. 1~ox II.
intelligent mother, and, luckily, carefully fru-
gal yet you can see a lack Of the ncediful in
many things about them, which the attempt at
concealmcnt cannot hide. A rstrenchment, il
seems, has taken place. not only in the line of
food and raiment, but also in the number Of
the olive branches which are numerous round
the table
Whilom, the little "shop-mateD was o lively
chattering clad" as we used to call him.
Since his condition has become so that the
reality presses hard-presses almost his little
life out OF him--there is not only stunt face,
but pale one, and the jovial companion Of
better days has been strangely transformed
into a silent man. IL is evident he never was
intended for the post Of labor be occupies
Now and then short requisite whistle escapes
him, or he ventures upon snatch of some
former ditty-he knows but little the recent
songs.
The shops clock has Just struck eleven,
whereat, as IL not certain Of the counting, he
looks up 70 see the time. The striking Of the
clock interrupted his whistle, and with renew
cd effort he applies himself
Through the half-pauses Of the wind, slight
patterihg, ~ Of juvenile feet, is heard and
presently lifting Of the latch Of the outer
door below, and, enters fairy child, girl Of
four or five years. Closing the door softiy--a
first sight convinces you Of gentle chld--she
approaches with sylph-Iike movement the sit.
ter around whose neck instantly are her arms
and her ringicts--
The golden mingling with the gray,
And stealing half their SHOWS away"
The young check IL pressed to the beard
prieking pale face, and Pappy-paln chimes