The Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1855-1875, 1859-01-27
The Little SHOES.

at last into suitable soil, aud, by and by,
grows mp into a stately tree. a little spring
leaps out of the side Of :. hill, and the child,
who stoops to drink Of it, span lis
breadth; but it flows on down to the valley,
and winds along the plain, and gathers
strength aud volume in its course, till II rolls
a stately riyer bearing the commerce of
cities in the ships that navigate its waters
And so it is with human life. 4 look,
word, has changed the whole career Of many
an immortal being.
The writer once lived opposite beer shop
called the Fox and Geese" and. with
panied attention, often watched the doiags,
and. alas! heard the sayings Of the custom
ers. One winter even ug shoemakcr's boy
came with an assortment OF chiliren's shoes,
and the landIady Of the Fox and Geese,
who had a most marvellous ShlIll voice, be-
gan calling to lIttle dirty slave cf nurse
girl to bfug "Addiehead" as she pro-
Houucel Adeaide-to have her new shoes
tried n | could see the little creature
who was at once fine and fi;hy, sitting
der the gas-light in the bar, and kicking and
screaming as the shoes were coa2ed on her
feet. At last pair it'cd, and the spoiled
pet was lifted up triumphantly IN her moth
ers arms Here, do look at her The
darling has let me get a pair c: the very best
ones on! Look, dad, dy"' Just then a tall
man. very thinly clad, came ont Of the tap
room, passed the bar. and saw the child
stretching out her feet for her father to sce
Now a poor woman had been cyerlng about
at the corner, pecpIng now aud then tmtdiy
into the bar window, and then creeping TO
the door; she had child IN her arms, aa!
looked ready to drop with WEAKNESS. l hal
seen tha. woman on many Saturday night
waiing and watching for her husband to
comeout. All. there he Is, his ewes rive'cd for
moment looking the child showing her
shoes; with start, he rouses himself and
rushcs out. .'What, Bill, going SC sooni"
bawIs out the landlady. Bill pulls his hat
down over his eyes with one hand, clutches
his old jacket tight over his chest, and an
swcrs the question with a sor, Of grun,.-He
is outside-therc is his wife and little one
For moment the woman looks at him tim
orously, and half swerves aside, aS # she
feared-what l will not wgite, lest the man
hood Of my readers should be Wounded
Something in B,ll's look assures her and
She goes close to bin, teebly but YET coaxinF-
H. He took the child from her tired arms
the little creature gave Il short, quick cry
OF frirht-and as he lifted it, | saw that its
little feet were bare, it drew them quickly
under its poor frock bat not before the father
saw them. | wish his hat had been OIL, so
that [ might have seen bis lace As those two
little blue, chilled feet met lis eyes. no
ticed that he put them in lis bosom. and
bnttoned his Jacket over them, and held the
child close and went on his way with a
heavy stamp. as if 10 beat his thoughts down
on the ground; his wife. >Iipshod, aud TOT
tering, bad hard work to keep up with him.
| had faint suspicion Of what was passing
in the mans mind. From that night | was
glad that saw him 40 more among the ire
quenters Of the Fox and Geese" He and
his wife and child, tor veal or Woe, had
dropped out of my ken and most out OF mind.
Some months after thcre was a meeting at
the Temperance Hall of tac district, anl
many working men We're present. and gave
their testimony to the cool effects of perfect
sohrictv; now and then t1cy told little bits
of thcir history, about the reasons that led
them to give up the public h4a~e. oAe tall,
we'll dressed respectable looking man, listen
ed earnestly. till one who sac aear him said:
Say a word, WIHrm Turner you've
known as much about the mischief as any
one here or any wher~: come, tell Us, taT |
never heard how Il was that YOU changed
hight ahou, face, rom the mouth of he'. 10
tie GclI of hope. Come. man, out with il,
it viii. mryb-, do good
The voln. man. thus u-L-d, rose at the
is: wari, and looked tor a moment very
confused: All lie culd say was: The little
shoes, they did it." With thick voice, as
It his heart was in his throar, lie kept repeat
iny thi~ There was stare of peTp'eNJty on
every fac. an1 IT length some thou rA,-
Ie~, Young people began 10 titrer. The n4a,
in MI his embarrassment, heard the sound.
and rallied at once The high, CAM in.o hi,
eyes with a fash. he drew himself up aud
looked at the audience, tie choking went
from his throat@ " es, friends" he said in
voice tha- ctit is way clear Is deep toned
bell, "whatever You may think OF 1t, I've
told YOU the truth-the lgIe shoes did II
was a brute AMI a fool; strong dunk hal
made me both. aud Starved me into the bar
gain. | suffered: | deserved 20 suffer, bu,
didn't suffer alone-no man docs who has q
wife and child. for tie woman gets the worst
share But | am 10 speaker to enlarge on
thai: I'll stick to the hlyle shoes. | saw one
night. when | was almost done for. the pub,
hcau's child holding out her feet for her
father 10 see her fine new shoes; L was
simple thing. but, friends. no fist ever struck
me such a blow as those little shoes. They
kicked reason into ne. What business have
| TO cIothe others and let my own bare! said
!; and there outside was nv wife and clild
in a bitter night. | took hold Of mY little
oue with grip, and ! saw her chilled feet
Iueni fathers if the shoes Smote me- what
did the feet do? pm: them. cold as ice, 70
my bosom; they PIERCED me through and
through. Yes! the ltle ieei walked right
into my heart, and washed away nv selfish
ness. | hal a ggiHe Of money left; l bought
loaf ard a pair OF little shoes. l never
tasted anything but bit Of that bread all the
Sabbath day. and | went . work Ike mad
on Monday, ana from that time | have spens
no more money at the public house That's
sll I've Got 10 sav-it was the I,gIe shoes that
Gil ''-Br3,iSh Workman
s~ A Washington dispatch . The Balti-
more Exchange, this morning. SAYS:
We learn, through private letters received
from DR.. Irwin, surgeon IN the army, that