Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1881-08-17
" Shine "---Iu Two Places.


CHAPTER L.
Under railway arch. The trains trundled
over it. Carts and cabs and wagons rumbled
under it. Men and women, and children,
| too, more than he ever counted, went past
that arch to the station. Aud just at the
corner, on the flag-stones, under the arch,
stood Kif ready to black anybody's boots.
Backing boots is not easy. Not many
boys and girls like the job Kif did not
like it at first Only, you see he had to
do it.
Eb What did you say You'd be
ashamed Surely not Not ashamed to
,cork
Oh, ashamed to bl ok boots, do you mean
But why2 There may be two thousand
millions of big and little feet in this world
where God has put us. Why should any
boy be ashamed TO help make some of those
| feet nice2
Anyway that happened to be the bit of
work that Kif Diamond had to do in this
world. And want to tell you how he did
it, and what came of it.
At first, said, Kif was not fond of the
work. lie was only ten years old, remem-
Der. Play was Just as sweet to him as to
you; and he liked it better than work. But
his father was away at sea, these years, and
his mother had got hurt aud had to keep at
home. So there was nothing for it but that
| kif must work.
One morning, Kif was at his corner early.
He didn't know that there had been a great
meeting in the great hall of the town the
night before. He was Just standing look
ing at the old church clock, watching a
sparrow trying to perch on one Of the golden
figures, when Kif's eye caught sight of a
tall stranger looking at the church and walk
ing along slowly,
"Shine, sir ~
The stranger started He was almost
frightened. He didn't know there was a
boy so near. But when the tall gentleman
turned round, he found Kif ready with his
box and blacking-pot, and a brush in each
hand, saying:
"Shine, sir"
The gentleman looked down at Kif and
smiled. lie was on his knees already. He
was ready to begin. The gentleman's boots
had not been cleaned that morning, or else
he had soiled them again. &c. almost be-
fore he thought of it, Kif was brushing
away at the boots of the tall stranger And
the gentleman had to lean his back against
the wall of the arch and he held his foot
up on the shoe-black's box, and began to
talk to Xii quite friendly. They talked a
long time.
There's your penny, see," said the gen.
tleman, just as he was going.
Xii smiled, but didn't take it.
"It's twopence before eight, sir" he said
"Oh !" laughed the gentleman, lis that
it2 Well, Kif, you are a boy There you
are now don't forget what told you"
Aud the gentleman walked away, seem
ing happy that he had seen Xii. And Xii
would have been happier still had he known
that he had just been speaking to one of
the greatest men in England.
What did that great man say to Kif Dia-
mond cannot tell. But this / know
that Kif began to black boots better than
ever after that. He didn't use to mind
much if he could just daub on the black
ing, and rub one or two shiny places on the
tops of the boots, and get his penny. Xii
had got new idea into his busy head now
He would never cat-lck boot again
He would do all round the heels and the
edges and the crease3 and the inches. NJ
, matter how dirty, no matter how dull the
boots and shoes were, Kif set himself t.
make them shine, clean, bright, or, as hi
called it, "boot-i-ful."
| wonder whatever it could be that tn
great man whispered to kif. Was it some
thing about doing his york ,oel? Did he tel
him not to be ashamed of it I Perhaps b,
told kif that everybody should work. Per
haps he whispered to him that Prime Min
listers have to work. Perhaps he showed Xxi
how the great, round world is like clock
it must go. And there are little wheels an,
large wheels in it, and there are springs an,
chains and weights in it; and, unless al
these work, the clock won't gO,-the worlt
will stop. | wonder did he tell Xii tina
. Jesus was once carpenter, and how h
came to be after that the Master and tn
Christ. How he worked, and how the grea
God is always working
d dare say he was sure to tell kif to bldc
boots weH; and Kif Diamond began to b
= merry at his work, after that. His worl
was not bit easier, but he sometimes SAN
to it, and he sometimes whistled to it. AM
see want to tell you secret. This
when Kif whstled over his work, he Away
whistled quick tunes. Do you know why
Because it seemed to put oil into his elbow
and music into his muscles Slow tune
made him work slow. Quick tunes mad
= him work quick.
y Aud another good thing he did was this
ut He always kept his own shoes clean an
]" bright. So, when any one was comm
down the station steps into town, Xii woul
j. be there at his corner, brush in eac
:. hand; and with one hand he would poin
n down at his own bright shoes, and with tn
other hand he would point down at tn
travellers dull, soiled boots, and Xii woul
say:
, "Shine, sir?"
And who could help but have his boot
backened by such boy
"Kif," said | one day, whats the CRANE
\ est word you know ?"
| And he out with it at once;
. "Shinel"
CHAPTER IL.
y In front of big factory. There was
girl just coming out of it, one evening. Sh
shook her shawl aud threw it round he
I shoulders, then she stood outside, waitin
for some one else. 1t was a boot-and-sho
!. factory; and think the girls work was
J, stitch that pretty f,wering on the toes
!, the boots.
!. Another girl came running out, and 81
said
Q "Nell, have you heard the news 7"
j "No; what ?" asked Nell
"Why, our masters going to be mac