The union Democrat., 1869-03-27
story ofa London cobb,cr


bier street. (for in larger cities like London,
1t IS impossible for wealth to avoid being JOS
tied occasionally by poverty Gwelt an in
dustrious son of St, Crspm.
Now, it happened, as the case often is.ahat
| the shoemaker was the father Of family
almost numerous enough to qualify him for
the responsible berth of parish beadle-and
beng the father of eight-it required con-
tinuons exertion OF his physical powers TO
/ procure them the absolute necesSaries of life
| lie was, of course, necessitated to work ear
| ly and late ; and the rat-a-tat cf the shoe
makers hammer, long before light in the
morning, very naturally disturbed the fam
| lily of Lord L. who were Of that unfortu-
nate class who are compelled by the require
ments of fashionable society to convert night
into day. -...
Lord l. would have slept soundly
/ under the snort of locomotive, but his lady
was uniuckily the possessor of one of those
| intensely nervous temperaments which natur-
ally recoil at anything approaching the hum
drum confusion of plehan pursuits. The
| noise OF the shoemaker's hammer was too
much for her delicate organization, and she
! would awaken Lord l. from his bliss
ful slumhers, oftenhmes at the very point of
| the happy consummaton of his dreams, by
| reminding him of that horrid noise in the
rear. Lord l. was phlegmatic and fog
gy, by no means d Sardat, though an ardent
! adm.rer OF Lady -, who was talented
lie possessed none of the repellant discrim-
ination. OF his lady, and would prefer the So
elety OF some clever representative of Bill
! lngsgate to that of a minister of the Church
| OF England. But, as we have said, he be-
lieved implicitly in Lady L, and any,
thing calculated to annoy that most estima-
| BILE lady must be removed at any cost. OF
course, after consuming the night and three
| or four hours of morning, in the enjoyment
of patrician pleasures it was absolutely ne
| cessary to Lady L whose brilliant tai
ents were perpetually on the stretch during
| those intoxicating moments, that she should
have the privilege of commanding few mo-
ments of undisturbed quiet out of the twenty
four hours allotted to the day, without suffer
ing the inailenable prerogative of her nobli-
ty to be disturbed by a vulgar and designing
cordwainer.,
Lord l. and his lady had returned
about four in the morning from the reception
of the distinguished Dntchess Of, bis
lordship being in blissful state of sef-uncon-
! sciousuess from the potent effects of certain
wines o. marvellous antiquity, and her lady
tship highly enraged with the brilliant bon
Emets which had fallen like pearls4from the
Hloquent lips of distinguished savatt, whose
erratic disposition had consigned him to q
suit of apartments including one room on the
attic floor. But scarcely bad Lady L re-
signed herself to the arms of Morpheus, when
she was suddenly RECALLED to the vulgar re-
alties of practical existence bv that ever
lasting humping of the father Of eight chill
dren, in the rear.
She gave Lord L sharp punch in the
ribs. which aroused him in an instant to that
astonishing state of self-conscousneSs which
led him to ask in a somewhat testy, though
oblivious manner
Lord bless me Lady L, what's the
matter? What are you driving at my ribs
for You have thumped them now till they
are snrer than Balaams donkey. Why can't
you let poor fellow rest?'
Il really believe. my lord you would go
to sleep in a hornets nest. or on the brink of
a crater exclaimed her ladyship, petulant-
y. II really wish sometimes were as hap
PLY and stup'dly organized as YOU are.
should not be disturbed then bv the everlast-
ing humping of that horrd creature in the
rear
ugh - said his lordsbip dozingly; ''leave
me alone this time, and I'll look to it in the
morning
Suddenly the rata-tat, which had subside1
but moment before, now recommended with
renewed veor.
Good Heavens - cried her ladvshp. re-
newing her manipulations upon the ribs of
his lordShip. Il shall positively 90 distract
ed with that odious shoemaker, unless you
pay some further regard to my feelings, and
put stop to this perpetual humping "
Only be quiet my lady, and I'll do it in
the morning, at whatever cost, - said my lord.
4 L L
whom the pressing wants of large family
had compelled to rise early. had commenced
the abors of the day shortly after the retire
ment Of Lord l. and his lady, and as
the lady had not thought proper to stupefy
herself with the same potent beverages which
had operated so advantageously upon the
nerves of his lordship, slumber to her was of
course denied. On the same day. at a later
hour, and agreeable to his promise, Lord
l. paid the shoemaker visit. He found
/ him still pounding at his humble calling. and
! they speedily entered into conversation. His
/ lordshp stated his wife's grievances. and de-
sired TO know if he could not wait till rea-
sonahle hour in the morning before commenc-
ing his labors.
| Alas. my lord. | am very poor and hav-
! ing the responsibility of large family weigh
ing upon me. am obliged to work early aud
late to pay my little rent here and support
them. L is true, if had little money to do
with, shonld open a much larger shop in a
more favorable locality, and should doubtless
make very good thing of it. But poverty.
my lord, is a stern reality that may not be
understood by people in the same walks of
| life as your honor"
"Ahem !" said his lordship, show much
money would it require to carry out these de-
/ signs
| "For FIVE hundred pounds, l might open a
shop and stock it handsomely in the very
heart of London. In some more obscure
quarter. with advantages correspondingly
less, might open with less capital.'
Look here nv man, said Lord l. T
am strongly inclined to favor your enterprise.
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 money as long as you live.
when YOU die, your death shall cancel the
debt. will run my own risk as regards
/ your longevity What do von COW r-;ll 90,