Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1870-06-23
Eur tbeB ous ano 6irls.
THE LITTLE WORKOUT SHOES.

TIE favorite retreat of The Express
! Josephine was the cattle of Mauaison
There, free from all the reserve and cere-
mony of the court, she was rrry happy,
and treated all about her with the greatest
kindness and goodness. This encoumg d
the young girls OF her household to ask her
one day TO crafty their curiosity by show
ing them her diamonds, which were said
70 be very numerous and beautiful.
The good Empress caused large table
/ to be brought in, andspread upon it all her
| Baskets of jewels.
The young girls opened their eyes very
wide indeed, quite dazzled by SO manybril.
liant and precious stones, and the Empress
was much amused with their silent admira-
ton.
Young ladies, " sai she at last, do not
be envious ola luxury which cannot give
happiness 1t has given me more pleasure
! TO receive an old pair of shoes than all these
diamonds spread before YOU
The girls began to laugh, thinking II was
a jest.
do not laugh, my children, said the
Empress. Eyes, indeed, the present which
gave me the most real pleasure in all my
life was pair OF old, thick, leather shoes.
You shall hear the story:
when left Martinique with my little
daughter Hortense to go to France, was
far from being rich. The cost of my pas
sage en- the ship had taken nearly all my
money, and had much trouble to make
even the most necessary preparations for
| the voyage.
"Hortense was very gay and lively; She
| liked to dance negro.dances and sing their
songs, which was a great to the
sailors and rs they were very attentive to
her, she much enjoyed their society, -
| Whenever | wished to take q nap, she went
up On deck, and there the object of general
admiration, she went through her exer-
| eises to the satisfaction of every one.
| "An old sailor, the mate of the ship was
particularly fond of her, and whenever he
could spare moment from his duties, he
| devoted himself to his little friend.
"At last with running and dancing all
| day long, my little girls shoes were quite
worn out. Knowing that she had no 9th
ers, and fearing that l would not allow
| her to 90 on deck if | knew the state other
shoes. she hid IT from me for some time.
! One day she came to me with blood upon
| L
were hurt.
"'No. mamma
/" But see, my child, your feet are bleed
ing.
cit is nothing, mamma, | assure you.
II insisted upon knowing the truth, and
found that her shoes were quite worn oat,
and aer foot was terribly scratched with a
nail. We were only half through the voy
age, and until we arrived in France there
was no way to get new pair of shoes. 49,
Much distressed that my poor Hortense
should be obliged to remain prisoner in
our disagreeable little cabin, | wept with
her, and could find no remedy for our grief
At this moment, our friend, the mate, came
| in. He asked with his rough trankness
why we were crying. The sobbing child
| fastened to tell him that she could not &C
on deck any more because she had torn
her shoes and ! had no others to give her.
"Oh! that is nothing, said he, 4 have
an old pair in my chest; will go and look
tor them. YOU madam, will cut them MS
well as / can. On board ship, one must
accommodate ones self to every thing. -
One should not be proud nor dainty, if one
only has what is necessary
without giving US llhe 10 reply, ne
went to find the shoes, which he brought
to us with very triumphant air, We set
TO work. cutting, and he sewing with
great zeal, and by evening my little girl
could again please herself with dancing and
Jumping, to the amusement of every one.
My gratitude to the old man was sim
cere, and have often reproached myself
that did not ask the name of this good sail
or known to US only as jacques. / should
like to do something for him, now that
! fortune has favored me"
This story, told with a charming simpli-
city, interested and touched deeply the
young girls to whom the Empress related
it,