Staunton vindicator and general advertiser. (Staunton, Augusta County, Va.) 1858-1860, 1859-10-28
,Misttllantous.
Irro,a Ballou Magazine.
THE RED MOROCCO SHOES.
BIZ JOHN ROSS DIX.

convey is concerned, 1t might with equAl
propriety have been located ia this other
England, termed New" for human nature
is much the same In ail places, and sin grows
in every soil. What Wordsworth calls
"Familia1 matters Of tc-dsy-
Some natural sorrow, grief or pain
Which hath been or may be again,
is to be found wherever human hearts throb,
and human passions bless or curse. | pre-
fer, however, to sketch literally from nature
only altering, for obvious reasons, the names
of persons and places.
A pretty village is that Of Westbury-- let
US this bright May morning survey it as we
descend the side of one Of the hills which
surround it. The turf beneath us is fra
grant with grass and heath blossoms. A
stream goes on dancing to its own sweet
music. Below are the village houses, quaint
lily irregular, and from among them one
hoary edi6ce arises ia sombre prominence.
1t is of gothic design; ia the mullioned win
dows the dia,nond-shaped paues glow like
|gems in the early sunshine. Around the
sacred edifce rise elms and yews, beneath
whose broad shadows the crude forefathers
of the hamlet sleep" Passing on, we enter
the village street, where everything has the
stamp Of age upon it, even the cottage roofs
being green with the mosses ofmany, many
years. Yonder is the old manor house, with
its quaint roof and numerous gables. And
near it is the parsonage, and the houses Of
the doctor and lawyer great men of the
parish; and the poor-house, on the very
verge Of the village; and that assemblage
of houses, common to both rich and poor
the chlrchyard
Enough, however, Of general descriptions
Stand we now in front Of this pretty rural
cottage which is situated almost in the cen
ire Of the one street Of Westbury. There
are roses and honeysuckles clambering round
the trellis work Of the porch, and birdcage
outside the window but you will turn from
these, beautiful as they are, to q still love-
lier picture-it is that Of a young and pref
ty woman, who. with babe in her arms,
and .:wee toddlin' thing" pulling at her
gown, stands at the cottage door.
Before the door is wagon, for the in
habitant of the cottage, Harry Langley, is
the village carrier from Westbury to the
neighboring city of Bath. And here Ee
comes leading his horse, which he soon har-
nesses up, and gets ready for starting. His
wife hands him one or two small parcels,
gives him his gloves and whip, holds up the
baby for ..by-by" kiss, aud begs him to
be sure not to forget little Ellen's new shoes
for it is the eldest child's birthday to-day,
and q pair Of red moroccos have been prom
ised her. At last all is ready-Edith and
Ellen have by-by kiss each, crack goes
the whip. and of joys the steady old horse
Cap'n:
one wordv' exclaimed Edith, calling to her
husband, who stepped back to her side
''Now you viN be careful, wont you 2
20, you needn't afraid, Edith, not in
the least. 1t will be all right enough; there,
there, now make yourself quite easy. | shall
be back BY four o'clock, at the latest
"You know you are so easy, and good
natured, Harry" she pleaded, looking earn
estly at his face, and laying her little hand
on his strong, muscular arm. but, there,
there, 90 Harry, and III have tea all ready
by the time you return" With hardly
audible sigh, she went into the cottage, and
the rumbling Of her husbands cart-wheels
was soon lost in the distance.
! If you had searched Westbury through
and through, you could not have found in
it handsomer, more stalwart, or better
hearted fellew, as the phrase goes, than
Harry Langley. Open, frank and cordial,
he WIS general favorite, and no one won
dered that old Farmer Vowles cheerfnlly
consented to allow his orphan niece (whom
he had brought up ever since the death Of
her parents) to marry him. Harry vas, in
a worldly point Of view, rather beneath
Edith in rank, bis father having been moth
ing but a common farm aborer; but tho
old man liked Harry. and his niece was too
dear to him to allow him to thwart her in
clinations. Edith's uncle, on their mar
riage, presented the young folks with cart
and horse with fifty pounds in money, and
they rented their cottage from neighbor
at favorable rent, so that they had fair
start in the world. So time passed on, and
when three years Rad elapsed, two children
those we ha ,e seen, gladdeDed the cottage
home.
But-ah these .'ifs" and ''buts" -bast,
amiable and kind as Harry was, be yet pos
sessed one failing-it seemed hard to call it
: fault-which threatened to be the one drop
Of poison. in the otherwise pleasant cup Of
life's enjoyment He lacked decision Of char
acter. and for him to say me- atthe right
, time, was the hardest thing N The world.