The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1883-11-29

Poor old daddy" thought. But Vas
not ruined, for that crack on the head
was the means Of making my fortune.
didn't cry over things much, for
am good shoemaker. and that 10 al.
ways solid capital. I had . little mon.
ey in my pocket, and I went TO San
rancisco. ! knew. my old master
would take mo back, and he did SO.
resumed my old place. There was IN
au t,oneer among his customers with
the tenderest feet I ever saw; and, as
am shoemaker, that explains all my
9ood luck. This auctioneer had been
grumblinx ever since left San Francis
AT least now" he said, IL am out of
my great misery. shall limp no long.
err" Atonce made him q pair sof
shoes, and he was delighted. e i
One day he aaid to 4ae: II had an
auction, yesterday, and nut up with.
out getting . .ngle bidder lot of very
tine French kid boots. They won't sell
because there is GUT Of boots on tue
market. They were imported = year
ago tut the shape is out Of fashion now.
1t was square one then now it ia
round one. Do you buy them?" "How
lnucll?" asked. MAKE your own price,"
but ! have no money" That makes
no difference; You may have them on
credit; pay NE when you can" went
to look at those cases Of boots. They
were of the finest quality, and excellent
As to make. Some of them we're cavalry
boots. but such a. only dandy horseman
or general officers wear. Remember l
am good shoemaker and know my
tra!e. I bought thos, boots at one dol.
lar pair. The leather alone was worth
twice that. At night used to work on
them, ] made the square toes pointed
Tor sm good shoemaker, some Of
them cut down into bodies. Oh! i
worked night after night on them after
hours. Then hired a small shop and
hung up few pairs in the window.
A Mexican came first. "H0w much?"
Ten doila g." He took the boots
Then miner passed. "How much?"
Fifteen dollars" Then gentleman o
fine horse came by and looked from
h!s horse at the boots, and he tied IN
his horse and asked: "How much?'
Twenty dollars" lie put douole
eagle down. l must have made s.. $40
clear on those boots and put in my pock-
ct II, 600 III three weeks. worked on for
Year, end made money in my trade
steadily, for l am a good shoemaker
Then got married at San Francisco to
women l loved and my married life
pang when said: II must leave you,
| my love, for short time-ouiy long
enough 10 pay my dear old daddy Wis.
IT." l left my business in her char
1t was a voyage OF business and pleas
ure, for ! went to Paris to buy 'ods.
Poor old daddy! there was the same
maybe in the wicker work basket, and
he saluted me, for he remembered me.
! When was little boy 1 stuck tail OF
false feathers on him with some cob.
bler's wax. He never forgot me, as If
my insult to him had been of recent
date. There Was hardly q change in the
room: There hung fathers old watch,
| as big as a saucer. ticking away, with a
| spray OF lockwood over it for luck. Then
there was on the shelf the same old
earthen ware jug. The han:le l broke
one, unfortunate day, and q piece Of
leather vas bound around it, and it
hung on nall by thong. He had the
| same awl in his hand-at least it was
the same handle, for once Came near
it. Even the old almanac OF q year long
gone past was there. tackled to the wall
With shoe brads. de had on the same
| apron only it WAS thinner.
The dear old father Was bending over
lis work, pounding slowly on some bit
OF leather on a last. You could count
one, two, three, four between the ham,
merngs. In my time it was rat-tat tat,
like drum beating, Nth no interval be-
tween the strokes. strobe in. and the
old gentleman first looked at nay fee,
that was way he had. At glance, for
he was the king of the shoem:kers, he
could take in all the differences between
| your foot, and the feet of the rest of the
world. He looked and looked again.
He must have recogn zed family loot
for saw his hand trenbIe, then he
pushed up his great steel-rinmed spec
ttc'es, and the tears ran down his
eheeksl "a he rose and tottered and then
tell into my arms. How We kissed ono
another! my son, nv son, yuu never
have succeeded had you not been a good
shoemak r; You never ecamped any
thing; you did the best you could al
the time" was what he said when l
told Of my luck. Like my dear old
daddy did before me-" l added. Then
| kicked over his work bench, and,
mo more work for you, old poppt, tor
Am rich. have a wife; I have a
| baby-a boy baby, named after you
and YOU are to take the cars-frst class.
o-lnorrow, or the day afterward, and
come post haste out Of the old country
! to Callforni so that grandchild shall sit
on your knee. q ID you shall teach him
| 10 be honestand pious and to love your
land may not make him good shoe
maker?" he asked. "8ut you 70 too
asst. Let me think over it. You ask
me to leave this old Luxembourg, where
| was born. I should never see again
the grave where your mother, my good
! wife, has slept for this last thirty o ID
years. / don't know. am very old. l
should be in the way: love my old
trade. Do they wear shoes in California?
May cohble there? assure you,
though, the hog bristles bother me just
Il little At times, and my hammer moves
Just a litter slo wer, still can turn out q
very decent job. I wonder if l cannot
beat you nov. Come let US try"
L. please the old man, took up bit
of work and com nencei on it. 1T was
vel. done," said father admirinely. II
| see you have not forgotten my lessons
Psrnaps int /. one nsoa stitch there is no'
My remarks don't worry you? Still"-
and lie he'd out with his si,aky hand
the old boot near his eye-''it will pass
| muster"
At last the blessed old man consented
to 20 with me. Next day W. had teas,
in the village. All the old ronies were
'avited-the cooper, the matchmaker,
the butcher, the drover, the tailor and
the tax collector. The cure gave the
party his blessing Oh. what a GOOD
time We had! The old man was rauiant.
was introduced to everyone as on,
the American shoemaker, who
had learned his trade in the
Luxembourg" We kept it up all tina,
afternoon and la'e into the evening. l,
was feast such as that sleepy old town
will remember for many q day. just
occasionally noticed that the old man
weakened when some ancient chum
took him by the hand to bid him GOO,
bye. Then would say, 'Dear daddy
it's your own grand;hild that claims
you. How the deuce do YOU ever ex.
rect that he viii: he good shoemaker
without your teaching him?" That was
IN all powerful argument. The blessed
old man made the trip with me acros.
/ the ocean With rluch fafiQua H0M