Fremont journal. [volume] (Fremont, Sandusky County [Ohio]) 1853-1866, 1859-02-18

little spring leaps out of the side Of hill, |
aud the child, who stoops to drink Of it, can
span its breadth; hut it flows on down the |
valley, aud winds along the plain and gath
crs strength and volume iu its course, till il |
rolls stately river, bearing the commerce
Of cities in the ships that navigate It's
waters.
And SO it is with human life. A look,
q word, has changed tho whole career Of
many an immortal being.
The writer once lived opposite a beershop
called the "Fox and Geese" and, with
panied attention often watched tho doings. |
and alas heard the sayings Of the custom
ers. One winter evening shocmakers |
boy came with an assortment Of children's
shoes, and the landlady of the "Fox aud
Geese" who had II most marvellous shrill
voice, began calling to little, dirty slave
.of nurse-girl TO bring "AAdlchead' AS
pronounced Adclaide-to have her new
shoes tried on. | could see the little crea-
ture who was, at once fine and filthy, sitting
under the gaslight in the. bar, aud kicking
and screaming as the shoes were coaxed on
her feet. AT last pair fitted, and the
spoiled pet was lifted up triumphautly in
her mothers arms
"Iere, do look at her The darling has
let me get pair of the very best ones on
Look, Dad, Or said the mother, calling to
her husband just then, tall man, very
thinIy clad, came out of the tap-room, passed
the bar, and saw the child stretching out
her feet for her father to see. Now poor
woman had been lowering about at the cor
ner, peeping now and then timidly into tho
bar-window, and then creeping TO the door;
she had child in her arms, and looked
ready to drop dead with cold and woariuess.
had seen that woman on many n Sat
urday night, waiting and watching for her
husband to como out. All there he is, riv-
tied for a moment, looking Mt the child
showing her shoes: with a start he rouses
himself and rushes out. "What Bill, going
so soonf bawls the landlady. Bill psls
his hat down over his eyes with one handa
clutches his jacket tight over his chest, and
answers with a sort of grunt He is outside,
there is his wife and little one For mo-
ment the woman looks at him timorously,
and half swerves aside, as if she feared
what, | will not write, lest the manhood of
my readers should be wounded. Some
thing in Bills look treasures her, and she
goes up close to him, feebly, but yet coax
ingly. He took the child from her tired
arms--the little creature gave a. short quick
cry of fright-and as he lifted it, saw
that IFS little feet were bare; it drew them
swiftly up under its poor frock, bnt not be-
fore the father saw them. | wish his hat
had been off that l might have seen his
face as those little blue, chilled feet met his
eyes. noticed that he put them in his
bosom, and buttoned his jacket over them
and held the child close, and went on his
way with a heavy stamp, rs if he boat his
feet down on the ground his wife, slip-shod
and tottering had hard work to keep up
with him.
had a faint suspicion of what was pass
ing in the mans mind. From that night l
was glad that saw him no more among
the frequenters of the "Fox and Geese
He and his wife and child for veal or woe
had dropped out of my ken, and almost
out of my mind.
Some months after, there was meeting
at the Temperance Hall of the district, and
many working men were present, and gave
their testimony to the good effects of per-
feet sobriety now and then they told lit
tie bits Of their history, about the reasons
that led them to givO up the public house.
I One tall, well-dressod, respectable looking
man listened earnestly, ill one, who sat
near him, said: "Say word, William
! Turner; you've known rs much about the
mischief as any one hero or anywhere f;
come tell us, for never heard how it was
you changed right about face, from the
mouth of hell to the field Of hope. Come,
man out with it, it may do good"
The young man thus urged, rose at the
first word, and looked for a moment very
confused; all he could say was; "The little
shoes they did it." With thick voice as
if his heart was in his throat he kept re-
peating this. There was a stare ofperplex-
iiy on every face, and at length some
thoughtlcss young people began to tittcr.-
The man in all his embarrassment heard
this sound, and rallied at once. The light
came into his eyvs with fash, he drew
) himself up and looked at the audience, the
choking went from his throat. ayes
friends" he said in voice that cut its way
clear, as a decp.toned bell, "whatevcr you
may think of it, I've told you the truth
the little shoes did it. ! was brute and a
fool; strong drink had made me both, and
starved me into the bargain, l suffered, /
+ deserved to suffer- but l didn't suffer alone
no man does who has wife aud child,
for the wife gets the worst share. But
am no speaker to enlarge upon that; I'll
stick to the little shoes. / saw one night,
when was all but done for, the publcan's
child holding ont her feet for her father to
see her fine new shoes. 1t was a simple
thing, but, friends, no fist ever struck me
such blow ms those little shoes. They
kicked reason into me. What business
have l to clOthe others and let my own go
bare said |, and there outside was my wife
and child in the bitter cold. / took up my
little one with a gripc, and saw her chilled
feet-men fathersl if tho shoes smote me,
what did the feet dol put them cold as
ice to my breast; they pierced mo through,
Yes the little feet walked right into my
heart, and turned out my selfshness. /
had trihe of money left. bought loaf
of bread, and pair Of little shoes, / new
tasted anything but bit Of that bread all
tho Sabbath dav aud 7 want 10 work lika