Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1869-01-15
STORI' ORR LO.vDO.V COEBLEe.

STORI' ORR EO.VDO.T COHBLER.
In the rear of the splendid town rosi-
dence of Lord L., and facing on Il much
humber street (for in large cities like Lon
don, it is impossible for wealth to avoid be-
ing iostled occasionally by poverty dwclt
an industrious son of st. Crispin.
Now, it happened, az the case often is,
that the shoemaker was the father oi fam
ilv almost numerous enough to qualify him
for the berth Of a parish beadle-and being
the father of cight-it required continu-
Gus exertion of his physical powers to pro-
cure them the absolute nccessarics of life.
lie was of course necessiated to work ear
lv and late; and the rat-a-tat-tat of the
shoomakers hammer long before light in
the morning, naturally disturbed the fam
ily of Lord l., who were of that un-
fortunate class who are compelled by the
requirements of fashionable society to turn
night into day.
Lord L. would have slept soundly un-
der the very sound Of the locomotive, but
his lady was unluckily the possessor Of one
of those intense nervous temporaments
which naturally recoil at anything ap-
preaching the hum-drum confusion of pie
bian pursuits. The noise of the shoemak-
ers hammer was too much for her delicate
organization, and she would awaken Lord
l. from his blissful slumber, oftentimes
at the very point of happy consumation
of his dreams, by reminding him Of that
horrid noise in the rear. Lord l. was
phlegmatic and fogy, by no means sardnt,
though an intense admirer of Lady l.,
who was talented. He possessed none of
the repellant discrimination of his lady,
and would have preferred the society Of
sOIne clever representative of Billingsgate
to that of a minister of the church of Eng
land But, as we have said, he believed inn
plicitly in Lady L., and anything cal
culated to annoy that most excellent lady,
must be removed at any cost. OF course,
after enjoying the pight, and two or three
hour, of the morning in patrician pleas
ures, il was absolutely necessary to Lady
l., whose brilliant talents were pcrpct
ually ON the stretch during those intoXicat-
ing moments, that she should have the priv
ilege of commanding "A few moments of un-
disturbed quiet out of the twenty-four
hours allotted to the day, without suffering
the inalienable prerogatives of her nobili-
ty to be disturbed by vulgar and design
ing cordwainer.
Lord L. and his lady had returned
about four in the morning from the recep-
ton of the distinguished Duchess Of,
his lordship being in a blissful state of
semi-unconsciousness from the potent eff
fects of certain wines of marvellous antiq-
uity, and-ner ladyship highly charged with
the brilliant boz mots which had fallen like
pearls from the eloquent lips Of n d,stin-
guished SdUdnt, whose erratic disposition
inclined him to suit of apartments, in
Guiding one room upon the attic floor. But
scarcely had Lady l. resigned herself
luxuriously to the arms Of Morpheus when
she was suddenly recalled to the vulgar re-
alities of practical existence by that ever
lasting humping of the father of eight chill
dren in the rear.
She gave Lord Ia sharp punch in
the ribs, which aroused him in an instant
to that astonishing state of self-conscious-
ness, which led him to inquire in a some
what testy though oblivious manner
"Lord bless mel Lady l., what's
the matter? What are you diving at my
ribs for? You. have thumped them till
they are sorer now than Balaam's donkey.
Why can't you let a fellow rest?"
~ really believe you would go to sleep
in hornets nest or on the brink of a era
ter r. exclaimed her ladyship petulantly
~ really wish sometime, | were as happily
and stupidity organized "a you are. | should
not be disturbed then by the everlasting
| humping of that horrid creature in the
rear"
"Ughr said his lordship dozingly /;
"leave me alone this time and I'll look to
it in the morning"
Suddenly, the rat-a-tat-tat, which had
subsidized but a moment before, now re-
commenced with renewed vigor.
"Good heavens !" cried her ladyship, re-
newing her manpulations upon the ribs Of
her ordship. ~ shall positively get dis
| tracted with that odious shoemaker, unless
you pay some further regard to my feelings
and put a stop to this perpetual thump-
ing"
"Only be quiet, my lady, and I'll do il in
| the morning, at whatever cost" said my
lord.
The fact of it was, our honest shoemak-
er, whom the pressing wants of large fam
| lily compelled TO rise early had commence
ed the labors of the day shortly after the
retirement of Lord l. and his lady, and
as the lady had not thought proper to stu
| peiy herself with the same potent bever-
age which had operated so advantagoously
upon the nerves of his lordship, slumbel
to her was of course denied.
On the same day at later hour, and
| agreeable to promise, Lord L. paid the
shoemaker visit lie found him still
| pounding away at his humble calling, and
they speedily entered into conversation
His lordship stated his wifes grievances
and desired to know if he could wait till a
reasonable hour in the morning before com
mencing his labors,
"Ay, my lord, am very poor; and hav.
ing the responsibilities of a largo family
weighing upon me, am obliged to wor,
carly and late to pay my little rent and sup.
port them, 1t is true, if | had "A little mon.
ey to do with, should open a much larger
shop in a more favorable locality, and
should doubtless make good thing of it,
But poverty, my lord, is a stern reality that
may not be understood by people in tho
same walk oi life as your honor"
"Ahem = said his lordship; show much
money would it require to carry out these
designs2'
"For five hundred pounds | might open
"A shop and stock it handsomely, in the very
heart of London. In some more obscur,
quarter, with advantages correspondence
less, might open with less capital"
"Look here, my man." said Lord L.
81 am strongly inclined to favor your en-.
terprise | will lend you five hundred
pounds to-day upon the conditions shall
dictate to you. In word, you shall pay
me back one pound per week for this mon
ey as long as you live, and when you die
| your death shall cancel the debt. | will