The Tiffin weekly tribune. (Tiffin, Ohio) 1859-1868, 1867-06-20
Mlisttll
tFrom Every Saturday.
THE LEFT SLIPPER.

al thought fairies we're obsolete
aud Cinderella nowhere" l exclaim
ed one morning, drawing out from
under the sofa of my sitting room, a
small slipper for a left foot; "but
if ever there was a lady; be she Gin
derella or Susquehannah, who had a
smaller foot than that would fit,
should like to see her, that's all.
sat down again to my coffee and
ham, and wondered however it could
happen that Mrs. Pottle my worthy
aud obsequous landlady; should
have allowed the slipper to have been
overlooked in the "thorDugh clean
ing" she had assured me always took
place between the exit and entree OF
her different dodgers; yet here it was.
The shining of the bronze colored
leather had attracted my eye as the
sun lit up the abyss beneath tho sofa;
and now what must do with it2 Per-
haps after all, it was Mrs. Pottle's
own; but l laughed at the idea of her
elephan line foot finding entrance
there; perhaps it belonged to child
or grand child; but it was not a prob
able Interpretation of the mystery
II could not be kept under the sofa
for ornament; and yet how should
such thing as one slipper not be
missed, if the owner possessed two
feet2
However, the little innocent look =
ing slipper, ft to chse a very fairy's
foot, lay there and destroyed my
peace Of mind as looked AZ il. My
readers may laugh at me if they
choose; will frankly confess that,
whilst some men fall in love with a
bunch of curls, a pair ofeyes,a smile,
a hand, a voice, L was, before
breakfast was half over, head and
ears in love with a slipper. 1t was
folly-nonsense-of course, was the
form that my Imagination conjured
up as the real owner of the slipper,
itself. Such a pretty little thing it
looked aud felt as l turned it over in
my hand, with its silken sandals, and
rosette of blue, and its neat lining of
white silk; dainty little article, in.
deed perfumed with a soft, sweet odor
ofroses, that all its long isolation
from its sweet mistress had not Who'll.
ly destroyed.
heard Mrs. Pottle ascending the
stairs with my letters and hastily put
the slipper 10 my pocket. had de-
termined that l would be guilty OF
the theft, if theft it was, sooner than
part with my new treasure. The
landlady entered, "Letters, sir, ifyou
please, sir u
"Thank you," 1 answered cody,
and let her 60 again, though l long
ed for the history of her previous
dodgers. thought she eyed me sus
piciously, but of course | was mista-
ken; aud 1 turned and finished my
breakfast, aud then broke open the
envelopes of my letters.
l ring the bell; Mrs. Pottle enters.
l am sitting on the sofa reading the
paper; but | just say carelessly: "you
have kept these lodgings some time,
| suppose, Mrs. Pcttle2"
"Lawl yes, sir" she answers, stop
ping short in the general gathering
together Of the plates and dishes;
"nigh upon twenty years. Through
my poor Samuel being taken off early,
sir, | was obliged to begin at forty :
Now, I'm turned sixty, sir, though
some do say" said Mrs. Pottle with a
smile "that they hardly can think it's
more than few years ago legan-
I'm so much the same" ;"
"There they arc right" l said,
willing to prOpitiate Mrs. Pottle,
"you might as we'll pass for fifty, and
young looking woman at that, but,
however what sort OF people do you
mostly get here-young men like l
am, in merchants Offices, or some
thing of that kind?"
"Well, yes, sir; first and last Two
had some score Of clerks and junior
partners; but still, tisn't always so;
but there was one young man-near-
ly the first that / ever had"
l did not exactly want twenty
years, list oflodgers, so l interrupted
the worthy soul by saing, "but who
have you had lately? Who was the
last now, before 1 came?"
"a curious old couple, sir, as you
ever cast eyes on"
"Old" | gasped. 4"
Mrs. Pottle did not, l suppose, no
tice my agitation, hut replied:
"Yes, sir; the gentleman about
seventy-fve, | should think, aud the
lady might be year older or younger
not much difference between them.
But L beg your pardon-that's your
"bus, sir.p Aud Mrs. Pottle disap-
peared with tray just as the horn and