Vermont daily transcript. [volume] (St. Albans, Vt.) 1868-1870, 1868-12-18
Story of a London Cobbler.


to avoid being jostled occasionally by
poverty. dwelt an industrious son of
st. Crspin.
Now, it happened, rs the case often is,
that The shoemaker was the father of
family almost numerous enough to quail
ifv him for the responsible berth of a
parish bea Leland being the fither Oh
eight--it required a continuous exert on
of his physical powers to procure them
the absolute neces aries of life. lie was,
of cour e, necessitated to work early and
late and the rat-a-tat-tat of the shoe
makers hammer, long before light in
the morning, naturally disturbe | the
family OF Lord L.. who were of that
unfortunate class who are compelled iy
the requirements of fashionable ciety
to convert night into day.
Lord L. would have slept soundly
under the very sno TT Oft locomotive, bat
his lady was unluckily the possessur of
one of those intense nervous tempcra-
ments which naturally lecoil Mt any
thing approaching the hum-drum con-
fu ion of plehe an pursuits. The noise
of the shoemaker's hammer was too
much for her delicate org IMITATION and
she would awaken Lold l. from his
llissful slumbers, oftentimes at the very
point of a happy consu nmation of his
dreams, by reminding him of that hor-
rid noise in the rear. Lord L. was
phlegmatic and foggy, by no means a
saUdnt, though an intense admirer of
Lady l., who was talented. He pos
sessed none of the repell mt discrimina-
t on of his lady, and would have prefer
red the society of some clever represent
tative of Biliingsgate to that # a minis
ter of the Church of England. But, rs
we have said, he believed implicitly in
Lady l., ard nything calculated to
annoy that most excellent lady, must be
removed at any cost. Of course, after
consuming the night, and three or four
hours of the morning, in the enjoyment
of patric.an pleasures, it was absolutely
necessary to Lady L., whose brilliant
talents were perpetually on the stletch
during those intoxicating moments,
that she should have the privilege Of
commanding q few moments of undis-
turbed quiet out of the twenty-fOur
hours allotted to the day, without suf-
fering the inalienable prerogatives of
her nobility to be disturbed by vulgar
and designing cOrdwainer.
Lold land his lady had returned
about four in tie morning from the re-
ception OF the distinguished Duchess of
-, his lordship being in a blissful
state of OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES from the
potent effects of certain wines of m IT.
vellous antiquity, and her ladyship
highly charged with the brilliant bon
mots which had fallen like pearls from
the eloquent lips of distinguished
sduant, whose erratic disposition inclin-
ed him to a suit of apar .ments, includ-
ing one room upon the attic flOor. But
scarcely had Lady l. resigned her
self luxuriously to the arms of ~. orpheus
| y1,o, 81, ln6 r, Ip
vulgar realities of practi al existence
by that everlasting humping OF the
father of eight children, in the rear.
She gave l. ord Ia sharp punch
in the ribs, which aroused him in an
instant 20 that astonishing state self
consciousness, viii. h led him to enquire
l.. e~...~ "i...e .esty, tnUugn ODlivlous
| manner -
Lord bless mel Lady L., what's
he matter? What are you diving at
my ribs for? You have thumped them
now till they are sorer than Balaam' s
donkey, Why can't you let OBJ fell
low restm
II really believe, my lord, you would
90 to sleep in hornets nest, or on the
brink of crater!' exclaimed her lady
ship, petulant)y. 81 really wish some
time. / were as ha PLY and stupidity or
ganized as you are. / should not be dis.
turbed then by tn, everlasting thump.
ing of that hOrrid creature in the rear.
"Ush ?" said his lordship, doing y
"leave me alone this time, and I'll look
tot in the morning"
Su denly, the rat-a-tat-tat, which had
~ubsidei but moment before, now re-
commenced with renewed vigor.
Good heavens" cried her ladyship
renewing her manipulatiOns upon the
ribs of his lordship. 81 shall positively
get distracted with that odious shoe
maker, unless you pay some further re-
gard t. my feelings, and put a stop to
this perpetual humping"
'Ol ly be quiet, my lady, and I'll dc
l. in tho morning, at whatever cost
said my lord.
The fact of it was, our honest shoe.
maker, whom the pressing wants of q
large family had compelled to rise early
had commenced the labOrs Of the day
shortly after the retirement of Lord
L. and his lady, and as the lady had
not thought proper to Supply hers III
with the same potent beverage which
had operated so advantageou 'ly upon
the nerves or his lordship, slumber Ia
her was of course denied.
On the same day at later hour. and
agreeable to his promise, Lord l.
paid the shoemaker a visit. He found
him still pounding away at his hu able
calling, and they speedily entered into
conversation. His lordship stated his
wife's grievances, and desired to know
ii he could not wait till a reasonable Lour
in the morning before commencing his
labors.
ALA, my lord, am very poor and
having the responsibility of large fam
lily Weighing upon me, am obliged ia
work early and late to pay my little rent
here and support them. 1t is TT Ie, if l
had little money to do with, l should
open much larger shop in a more ia
yorable locality, and h sh S.; ID Doubtless
erty, my lord, is a stern reality that may