The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1859-02-26
Fouthe, DrpartmFnt.
Tho Little shoes,

the commerce OF cites 10 the hhlpa tuhl nav /
igate its waters, And so II Is with human .
life. A look, o. word has changed the whole .
career Of many an immortal being
Tie writer once lived opposite beer'shop
called " The Fox and Geese" and With pain
ed attention often watched the doirgs, and,
alas heard tho sayings, Of tho eusIomers'-
One winter evening, O shoemakers boy came
with m assortment Of obildTon's shoes, and
thu iHudlady- Of a. The Fos aHd Geese" aha 7
had a most maryellously shrill voice. began
calling 70 little dirty slave Of nurse gIrl to
br,as " .a.IlI!...head " lls she pronounced AIDE
laide) to have her new shoes tiled on, / /
could see the little creature, who was at once
fine and filthy, sitting under the gab'lIght IN
the bar, ana kicking and screaming % the
shoes were ooayed on her feot Al fNJ o
pair fitted, and the spoiled pet was l'hed up
iiumpLantly In her mothers arms Here
do look at her--lhe darling has let me Get a
pair Of the very best ones on-look, d. hook "
said the mother, calling TO her husband, Just
thsR, tall man, very thinly clad, came out
Of the tap-room passed the bar, and saw the
child stretching out her feet f1r her father 10
sec. Now a poor woman had been lowering
about At the corner, peeping now and theuin'
TO the bar windhws, and then creeping TO the
door, she had a child 10 her arms, and look
ed ready TO drop with cold aud Wcar,ncss,
had seen that woman on many a Saturday
night, waiting aud watching for her husband
10 come out. All, there ho j. riyilcd for
moment looking at the child showing her new
.hocs-vith start he rous,s himself and
rushcs out "What, Bu going 10 soon ~
buvls the landlady. Bill pulls his hat down
over his eyes with one hand, clutches hs-old
jacket tight over bis cheat aud answers the
words with a sort Of grunt, Tie isoutsido-
I there are his wife and little one For mo-
ment tho woman looks at him tmorou.ly, and
half swcrvcs aside, ~ IL she fenred--what
will not write, lest the manhood Of my read
crs should be Wounded. Something in Bills
look treasures her, and she goes up close TO
him, fccbly, but yet coaSinglyi he took the
child from her tired arms tho lhtc child
gave short, quiol, cry Of Highland, us he
lifted It, saw that rs little feet were harci
it drew them swiftly up under his poor lrock,
but not before the father saw them. | wish
his hat had been on, that | might have seen
his face, as those two little blue, chilled feet
met his eyes ! noticed that he put them in
his bosom and buttoucd his Jacket over them
and held the child close, aud went on his way
with a heavy stamp, as il he beat his feot
down on the grounds his wife, slip-shod aud
tOuCFHg, had hard work 10 keep up with
him.
Il had a laint suspicion OF what was passing
in the mans mind, From that night | was
glad tina, / saw him no more among the fire.
qpentcrs Of ." The Fox and Geese lie and
his wife and child, for veal or woe, had drop
ped out Of my ken, and almost out Of my
t. nd.
Some months eItcr, there was a meeting
at Tie Temperance Hall Of the district, and
many working men were present, and gave
their testimony TO the good effects Of perfect
sobrietyi now and then they told little bits
ror their history, about the reasons that led
them to give mp the public.housc. One tall,
well dressed, respectable looking. man listen
ed silly, until one who sat near him said,
"Say word, William Turner, you've known
as much about the mischief as any one here
or elsewhere; come tell US, for never he ard
how it was that you changed right about face
from the mouth Of hell to the field Of hope
come, man, out with it, it'll may be do
good"
The young man, thus urged, rose at the
+ first word, and looked for a moment very
Il coafased; all he could say was "1hc little
e shoes, they did it." With thick voice, a,
q if his heart was in his throat, he kept repeat
c ing this. There was a stare of perplexity on
every face, and at length some thoushtess
r young people began to litter The man in
all his embarrassment heard this sound, and
n rallied at once. The light came into hi,
eyes with a fash be drew himself up and
n looked at his audience, the choking wen
1 from his throat. AYES, friends !" he said, il
a voice that cut its way clear as a deep-tonec
8 bell, whatever you may think of it, I've toic
4 you the truth, the little shoes did il. wa,
c brute and a fools strong drink had made
?. me both, aud starved me into the bargain
;, | suffered | deserved TO suffer, but didn'
a suffer alone no man does who has wifi,
a and child, for the woman gets the worst share
2 But I'm no speaker to enlarge on that, II
h stick to the little shoes. saw, one nigh
h when l was all but done for the pubicani
u child holding out her feet for her father &c
$ see her fine new shoes-it was simple thing
: but, friends, no fist ever struck me such I
blow as those little shoes. They kicked rea
:, son into me. What business have | tc
y clothe others, and let my own go bare p sale
S l, and there outside were my wife and child
y in bitter night. l took hold of my it'll,
n one with a grip, and l saw her chilled feet
c Men fathers IL the shoes smote me, What
q did the fnni 1n . mi thnn, LII ~. - 4.