Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1877-07-19


spirits of the child, but alas! not with
out wearing her little shoes.
The last skip of farandole carried
away the last fragment of thread
which held them together; and the
wardrobe of the ladies being very
scant (they having delayed purchasing
until their arrival in Paris), poor Ma
rie Rose was soon forced to spend her
time by the side Of her aunt, hiding
her little bare feet in the folds of her
dress, able only to move her head-the
loss of her shoes holding her captive,
like the Princess in the story, awaiting
the coming of cavalier to deliver her.
The cavalier came in the person OF
Pierre Hello.
ALLOW such pretty feet to 60 bare!'
said ho. Indignantly. 'One must be
without heart e.
But if, as the poet says, indignation
makes poetry. it does not follow that
it can make shoes.
Pierre reflected and scratched his
head, turning his quid from cheek tC
cheek. The quid is to the mind of the
sailor as the hands are to a clock; hen
the mind is working the quid is turn.
ing.
And Pierre had undertaken to think
out problem difficult even to math.
ematician-tO make something out Of
nothing-a problem that God alone has
determined.
"A piece of leather. My pipe and
my medal for piece of leather! cried
Pierre Qike Richard for a horse!)
He searched all over the ship, AND
peered into every crevice where even 8
mouse might have been concealed
when suddenly he gave cry-a cry
such as might have come from Harpa
gOn when he found his treasure, OF
Rousseau on discovering a new plant
But it was neither flower nor treasure
that Pierre had discovered; it was
something of more value in his eyes
1t WAS a boot!-ihe boot of soldier
who had been killed during a gale
And this boot had been tossed aside
no one knows how, while its mate was
lying at the bottom of the sea, or per
haps in the stomach of shark, think.
ing like the rat of La Fontaine, that the
things of earth concerned it not.
But Pierre Hello decided otherwise
With the assistance of his knife, in
lieu of an all, he cut and shaped, in the
course of an hour, that which we sho d
he glad to calf a pair of shoes, but can.
dor forbids.
What he did make was not exactly
shoe or slipper, buskin or moecasin; il
was something entirely new in the arI
of shoe-making; something original
and without name; nevertheless, 6
thing perfectly secure and fully relia'
BILE as protection for the feet. When
they were finished brave Pierre has
tened with the offering to his little
mistress, and, amid much laughter
and great coaxing, persuaded her to
put them on; then, placing her on the
floor, he stood with arms akimbO, and
admiringly exclaimed, 'Violap
An hour later she was dancing away
with q weight on each foot, to the Wig
orous applause of her admirers, having
gained double victory, for there was
in this dance combination of art and
strength; it was Taglioni and Madame
Saqui ia one body:
AT last, aftera long voyage, the
good ship arrived at its destination
and the time came to disembark.
The avetaking of the little Creole
and the old sailor was really touching
will never forget you, and will
keep your shoes as u SOUVENIR, as rel.
ic,, said Marie Hose, trying tG console
Pierre, who passed the back of his
hand across his eyes, which looked
|suspiciOusly moist.
On, mop responded he, sadly shaking
his head; you are going to Paris, where
you will soon forget your old friend
and your little Shoes
Il will never forget she repeated, IS
she was led away by her aunt, but
continued looking back as long as
Pierre was in sight. But Pierre Hello
never knew whether she kept her
word or not, as he was killed in action
not many months later.
But what of Marie Rose?
In the midst of our story comes the
great French Revolution, flood of
war and carnage, which we will not
dwell upon, but, closing our eyes, pass
on to the time of the Empire, and pro-
ceed at once to the home of the noble
but unfortunate Josephine, u widow in
the eyes of the law, caused by a legal
separation from Napoleon, but still an
Empress, aud still adored by the
French people, who had not approved
of the divorce.
Sitting in an apartmente of the palace,
her arm resting carelessly on her piano,
she was listening with smile to
group Of young ladies-of-honor who
were solicited permission to give some
charades in costume at the chateau.
with pleasure, my children said the
kind Josephine; L will even see to it
that the costumes are furnished.
Thanks to the generosity of the Enpe-
rOr, my own wardrobe is all sufficient;
see what merchant has just sent me!'
and carelessly She spurned with herl
foot magnificently embroidered robe
which lay upon the floor.
The garment was so beautiful, that
The youngest of the ladies, enthusiastic
ally clapping her hands, cried out:
Heavens! but your Majesty must be
very happy?'
'Happyp murmured Josephine, with
/ sigh; yes, very happy
She seemed lost in thought for a
moment; then throwing off the memo
les which oppressed her, she arose,
aging, Follow me, ladies, and select
your costumes Followed by the
throng, she entered the
DOM where her wardrobe was kept.
The eyes of the young ladies opened as
vide as did those of the wood-chop-
'er's son when he entered the cave Of
All BAHIA, ut the wonders of lace and
merry exposed to their gaze; every
hing that art could furnish and mon.
y procure was there. |.
Take your choice my children, said
ne generous Empress; 'amuse your /