The Jackson standard. [volume] (Jackson C.H., Ohio) 1847-1888, 1883-03-15
The other gave him a nudge and

"Shall we take the job in hand?"
Michael nodded. ''By all means,
he said.
Simon took Michael's advice. HI
took an order for pair of boots, fit
to last whole year without wearing
out Or wearing down.
The gentleman told the youth in a
loud voice to take the boot off his left
foot, and stretched it out, "Take my
measure" he said.
Simon sewed paper together and
made measure twelve vershoks long,
gave a look, knelt down, covered h.9
hand carefully with his apron, SO as
not to soil the gentleman's sock, and
began to measure. He measured the
instep, and began to measure the calf
Of the leg. The measure proved too
short. The calf was thick as beam.
"See," he said, don't make the boot
leg too narrow Simon began to
sew on more paper. The gentleman
sat and looked at the folks in the
room.
"Who's that?" he said, looking at
Michael.
Hes my chief apprentice; he'll
have a hand in the job
"Now look you to it," said the gen.
tleman to Michael; don't forget,
make me pair Of boots that'll last a
whole year." Simon gaped at Michael,
and sees that Michael does not even
look at the gentleman, but stares at
a corner behind him, as if perceiving
somebody there. Michael stares and
stares again, and smiles.
"Well, you fool, what are you gap
ing at?" the gentleman said. BETTER
look to it, and see that they're ready
in time"
To which Michael answered.
'They shall be ready in trace when
wanted
'All right"
The gentleman put on his boots
and his furred coat, wrapped it round
him, and made for the door. Forget
ting to toop, he struck his head
against the Intel,
He fumed, rubbed his head, sat in
his coach, and drove off.
When the gentleman had driven off,
Simon said,-
"What flint! You wouldn't kill
the like of him with crow-bar. If
beam were broken over his his head
he wouldn't feel much pain"
And Matrona added
.."Such a man as that never crossed
our door, Even death can't pull the
rivets out Of such a one as he"
VII.
And Simon said to Michael, "Well,
we've some work now, but let us not
get into a mess. The material is dear
and the gentleman hot-tempered. but
how are we to avoid mistakes? Now
look you here: you can make to mea-
sure better than | can; you have bet
ter eyes, and your fingers are more
nimble. You cut out the leather, and
I will finish sewing the boot-tops."
Michael did as he was bid; took the
gentleman's leather, spread it out on
the table, doubled it, took up knife,
and began to cut it it out.
Matrona came up and looked to see
how Michael was cutting out. She
was astonished to see how he was
going to work. Matrona had knowl-
edge of bootmaking. She looked and
saw that Michael was not cutting in
the usual way, but in peculiar,
round shape.
Matrona was going to say some
thing, but she thought to herself,
mo doubt [ don't understand how to
make gentlemen's boots; no doubt
Michael knows better-I won't inter-
fere."
Michael cut out pair, took hold of
an end. and began to sew and make
one end, as they make slippers, and
not two as they make boots.
Matrona wondered at this too; but
here, too, she did not interfere. And
Michael sewed on. They began to
double. Simon got up and looked.
Michael had made slippers of the gen.
tleman's leather.
Simon was Mortified. "How's that?"
he thought; Michael has lived here
whole year, and has never yet made
a mess Of anything, and now he has
got us into trouble. The gentleman
ordered boots with double soles, and
he has put together slippers without
soles. The leather is spoilt. What
shall do to satisfy the gentleman?
You won't find such leather as that
And he said to Michael
"What have you done for me. my
lad? You have killed me. Don't
you know that the gentleman ordered
boots? What have you been max
ing?"
He had hardly begun to speak to
Michael, when the ring Of the door
began to rattle: some one was knock
ing. They looked out at the window,
and saw that some one had come on
horseback, and was tying up his horse
They opened the door; the gentle
mans youth they had seen before
came in.
"Good-day to you"
"Good-day. What do you want?"
"My lady sent me to speak about
the boots
"What about them?
The gentleman doesn't need boots
nov. He has taken his leave of the
world!'
How SOP"
when he had left you he didn't
reach home alive, but died in the
coach. The coach came home, they
went out to help him out, and he was
lying stiff at the bottom like a sack.
He had to be pulled out by force. The
lady sent to say, Tell the bootmaker
that boots are not wanted for the
gentleman who came here, left leather,
and ordered boots; say that slippers
are wanted for the corpse, that they
must be made as quickly as possible.
My orders are to wait here till they