The weekly Anglo-African., 1860-03-31
From the British Workman.
THE LITTLE SHOES.

4
bye grows up into stately tree. A little
spring leaps out of the side of hill, and
the child who stoops to drink OF 1t, can
span its breadth; but it flows on down to
the valley, and winds along the plain, and
gathers strength and volume in its course,
| until it rolls a stately river, bearing the
commerce of cities in the ships that navi-
gate its waters. And so it is with human
life. A 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 doings,
and, alas! heard the sayings, Of the custo-
mers. One winter evening, shoemaker's
boy came with an assortment of children's
shoes, and the landlady of the Fox and
Geese" who had most marvellous shrill
voice, began calling to little dirty slave
of a nurse girl TO bring "Addlehead" (as
she pronounced Adelaide,) to have her
new shoes tried on. could see the little
creature, who was at once fine and filthy,
sitting under the gaslight in the bar and
kicking and screaming as the shoes were
coaxed on her feet. AT last a pair fitted,
and the spoiled pet was lifted up triumph
antly in her mothers arms. Here, do
look at her-the darling has let me get
pair of the very best ones on-look, dad,
do" said the mother, calling to her hus-
band Just then, tall man, very thinly
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
corner, peeping now and then timidly into
the bar window, and then creeping to the
door; she had child in her arms, and
looked ready to drop with cold and weari-
ness. / had seen that woman on many
Saturday night, waiting and watching for
her husband to come out. All, there heis!
rivetted for a moment looking at the child
showing her new shoes-with a start he
rouses himself and rushes out. what,
Bill, going so soon?' bawls the landlady.
Bill pulls his hat down over bis eyes with
one hand, clutches his old jacket tight over
his chest, and answers the word with a
sort of grunt He is outside-there's his
wife and little one For moment 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. Something
in Bill's look treasures her, and she goes
up close to him, feebly but yet coa1ingly;
he took the child from her tired arms-the
little creature gave short, quick cry of
Highland as he lifted it | saw that its
little feet were bare; it drew them swiftly
up under its poor frock, but not before the
father saw them l wish his hat had been
off that l might have seen his face as those
two little blue chilled feet met his eyes. l
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
heavy stamp, as if he beat his feet down
on the ground his wife slipshod and tot
tering, had hard work to keep up with
him.
| I had faint suspicion of what was pass
ing in the mans mind. From that night
| 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 al
most 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 effect of
perfect sobriety; now and then they told
little bits of their history, about the reasons
that led them to give up the public house.
One tall, well dressed, respectable looking
man, listened earnestly, until one who sat
| N IlIr-
ner; you've known as much about the mis-
chief as any one here or anywheres; come,
tell US, for / never heard 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 maybe do good"
The young man thus urged, rose at the
first word, and looked for moment very
confused all he could say was "The little
shoes, they did it." With a thick voice,
as if his heart was in his throat, he kept
repeating this. There was a stare of per-
plexity on every face, and at length some
thoughtless young people began to litter.
The man, in all his embarrassment, heard
this sound, and rallied at once. The light
came into his eyes with flash, he drew
himself up and looked at the audience, the
choking went from his throat. Eyes,
friends!' he said, in voice that cut its
way as clear as a deep-toned bell, "what-
ever you may think of it, I've told you
the truth, the little shoes did it l was
brute and a fool, strong drink had made
me both, and starved me into the bargain.
l suffered, deserved to suffer, but didn't
suffer alone; no man does who has wife
and child, for the woman gets the worst
share. But Pm no speaker to enlarge on
that, III stick to the little shoes.
81 saw one night, when was all but
done for, the publican's child holding out
her feet for her father to see her fine new
shoes-it was a simple thing, but, friends,
no fists ever struck me such blow as
those little shoes. They kicked reason
into me. What business have ! to clothe
others, and let my own go barer said |,
and there outside was my wife and child
in bitter hight. l took hold of my lit
tie one with a grip, and l saw her chilled
| loALo..i &c tIo cboac cunnto mo