Dayton daily empire. [volume] (Dayton [Ohio]) 1850-1865, 1864-04-18
The Wine Merchant and the
C0bbIers
7Fans7ated from Tie French.

| A poor cobbler lived next door to q retail
wine seller, who, the better to draw the sous
out Of the pockets Of his neighbors, put up
splendid gilt sign, with the names of the
most famous wines upon il at fulllength. Now
this was terrible temptation to the cobber,
Who however, the better resisted it, she did
not know how 10 read But not content with
the gilt sigu, the wine seller had two bunches
of ripe, tempting grapes painted TO the life,
and Just beneath two goblets running over
with wine This is readable, and thU poor
cobber's mouth watered IL was, however,
in vain to resist, for he found himself every
moment trying to find some excuse for turn
ing his eyes towards bis neighbors shop, and
at last in he goes "Four sous cant kill
body, " thought he, and two tumblers full of
wine were soon under bis jacket S0it was
the uext day and the next, but one day he
happened TO have no money. tLs
80 neighbor,' said the wine seller ''you
don't take drop to-day
''Why ito tell the truth, replied The cobbler,
II would if had the change"
"Never mind, said the wine seller, "come
and take drink, you can pay me some other
time" rrer Iy, gt9 9sIaeu
But the cobbler's paying time never came,
and the wine seller dunned him over and over
and over again and got nothing bat promises;
the eobbler drinking every day as usual, for
I is pity TO lose SO good a customer
thought the wine seller. Everybody knows
(Which Everybody" means ell one's acquain-
tapce) that on Sunday all Paris, high and low,
dress in their best and find amusement where
they can. Now, our cobbler's best suit was
gray coat with plated buttons, sky blue panta-
looms, shining boots, and white hat, and the
merciless wine seller found means TO get the
latter, together with the grey coat with plated
buttons, into his possession, and swore that
he would not give them up until he was paid
seu The cobbler prayed, begged, entroated
himto release them but for that day, for he
had contracted to dance the first cotillion with
sweetheart, and was engaged to dine at his
cousins but II would not do; the wine seller
bid him 90 about his business, which the cob
bier literally did, for he went home and be-
gan to work and sing With All his might, to
drown the noise Of his neighbor's violin and
at night be went to bed as melancholy as anv
cobber in Paris la Den9ednce est iepiGsir
des dean," says the proverb, and our cobbler
awoke the next morning as gay as ever, for
he had thought of a way to ayenge himself.
BE threw out before his door few bits of
bread which his neghbors fowls very kindly
picked up. W
The next day the same thing with the same
success, and the third and fourth days the
fowls we're willing to enter his shop, and save
him the trouble OF feeding without No sooner
we're all within, than the folws were prisoners,
and the cobbler fell 10 work and filled q pill
low case with feathers, which he plucked
clean off the poor creatures, one by one, and
sent them perishing home naked as they were
born, One sleeps well on good conscience
bot the eobbler found his pillow Of revenge
quite as soothing, fos he slept soundly upon
it The wine seller, however, soon woke him
with loud knocking. "Halioa, neghbor,
somebody has been picking my fowls, aud they
say they we're seen coming out Of your shop
PRAY, nsighbor, who told you SO = asked
the cobbler
"Why tho apple.woman and bakers wife r.
''They are right, said the cobbler.
''May presume to ask who plucked my
fowls Z" said the vine seller
"No presumption at all, replied the cob
bier, you may ask
'And can you tell me who plucked them p
Nothing easier i did
What you
'Yes."
"And may ask you why you took the Iiber.
" to undress my fowls 2 w
"Certainly you may, and will answer,-
You must know that for something less than
week, your fowls have lived at my expense,
without paying a sous, and that is the reason
why undressed' them, as you call il. When
get my pay for my bread, they shall have
their feathers." ao
"But this horrible cruelty, said the wine
seller
'Notmors than undressing me last Sun.
day, said the oobbler ...- F.-af
"But what have you done with the fealh-
ers p
" Made capital pillow
"Then III see you, said the wine-seller.
{" Do as you please replied the cobbler
and how the suit will end, nobody knows, not
even the lawyers.
HBTidget," said Mrs. L. the other day 10 n
verdRnt specimen Of the Emeral Isle, Bird
get, whstis the matter with the oil on the sal.
ADJ .sal G0I
And is it the oil from the castor, sure,
yQner spanking about II is the very best
ma am, that the doctor could give me, the 9th.
sF day whsn the baby was sick" fgI
"But you did not Pot ihGt oil in the eaator,
surely, said the mortified mistress.
HAnd indade did, ma am an Wast's II
castor oil, that the dOelhor himself labelled
itT
A Detroit paper mentions gentleman Of a
statistical turn OF mind, who has kent q care
| fui record Of the desertions from the rebel ar
my since the frst Bull Ran, as they have been
! reported in the Journals from time 10 time,
! - 4