The Council Bluffs nonpareil. [volume] (Council Bluffs [Iowa]) 1857-1867, 1859-07-30
From Chambers Edinburgh Journal.
A SLIP BETWEEN CUP AND LIP.
CHAPTER /.

CHAPTER l.
Some one has demanded, l really forget
who, how it is that so many cobblers be-
come wonderful men. will Just mention
two, who, though dead, are still exercising
a silent and mighty Influence upon Christen-
dom-Jacob Behmen and George Fox
Newton himself "plowed with Behmen's
heifer )" and so We owe, indirectly, tho
greatest scientific impetus of the modern
world to a tbeosophizing shoemaker. TIE
great VIM. Law, the spiritual father of John
Wesley, and of the Methodist movement of
the last century, and-some say--of the
Anglo Catholic movement of this century,
confessed that the humble Jacob was his
true teacher. If so, we owe the two greatest
religious impetuses of modern England to a
poor Christian cobler.
If this were 70 be an essay upon wonderful
shoemakers, think could add list which
would be really surprising. However, it is
not to be an essay on wonderful shoemakers,
but merely the transcript of one episode out
of the life of certain poor, honest Journey
man cobbler, by name, William Griffin, and
out Of the life of his betrothed sweetheart,
Anne Moss.
William Griffin and Anne Moss had been
engaged since she was fifteen, and he twenty
years old. Great poverty, a drunken father.
the death of her mother, and the necessity
Of independent work, had made Anne a
thoughtful little woman long before she had
reached the age called womanhood-a fact
which l feel it necessary to state, rs the
prudent reader might otherwise stop during
the relation, to say over to himself
or herself, three or four sober old proverbs,
concerning the evils of early engagements,
and the ignorance of their own minds, sup
posed to be generally characteristic of young
girls; with which proverbs most cordially
agree, reserving the right Of exclusion from
all their conditions to Anne Moss alone
For if, as certain spasmodic poet has said
We are to count life by heart throbs, not by
minutes, why, then, our little Anne could
reckon anon heart throbs enough, at the
age Of fifteen, to attest her right to all the
hcucrs, privileges, and considerations Of
ffty.
Anne was lttIo less than fifteen when
she took the place Of a maid all work.
, This exchange of her miserable home for
, domestic service was merely an escape out
! of the fire into the fryinS-p pan. Both Of
them were fiery trial to the poor CIR! but
the latter burnt a little less tierceiy. For,
! although her mistress never beat her. never
swore at hcr-while her father frequently
! did both-because the lady had not heat or
pass on enough in her nature for such vlo-
( lent exercises, vet she made the little ser
wants life very bitter to he:by her inf mite
application of "thou shalt not.' Every
thing that was humane, natural, pleasant or
desirable, had this waving before it, like
the flaming sword, to keep off Anne's eyes,
hands anI longing. Above all, she was
allowed no followers. Mrs. Darah. having
never-she thanked goodness-been in love
herself. considered love the most ridiculous
folly and delusion under the sun. Even #
it might be indulged in by people who had
time and money for il, it certainly was not
ft for servants. She was often heard 10 say
that love made more thieves than malice or
selfsnnc>s did; destroyed cold meat more
rapidly than tiy-b!ows; and would empty n
larder sucker than whole hungry family.
She had servants with huge "ppaut"$, ani
servants with lovers she found both cZ-
pensive, but the latter the worse; for even
if their own a1petites were ordinary, their
lovers were usually cxhNrh.ant.
In spite of these restrictions of her mis-
tres-, Anne met William very often. They
managed to have walks together, to betroth
themselves to each other; and after five
years steady love, under great difficulties,
to fix Mt last a wedding day, she, by that
time. being twenty, and be, twenty five
During these years of courtship, they had
both worked very hard, and saved some
money. Williams situation was as good as
bis swerthcnrt's was unprt mi-!Hg. Indeed,
he always thought, and almost ho?"i, too,
that Anne must need uenr'y every fAI thing OK
hpr sruutv wuges for hrr q .esS. Jhe proud