The times and democrat. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1881-current, 1883-12-27
Joe slnndd's Experience.

Joe smndd's experience.
Very many fights of stairs had to b
climbed --rickety, dirty, old, rot-eatel
stairs they we're beforea visitor coult
reach the uppermost floor Ghere were nj
eieYators.in those days., in the furthes
and smallest room OF which Joe Smudd
5 the cobbler, lived, toiled and rejoiced.
Joe was a hard worker, yet while o,
his seat bsmmering out strips of leathe
40 proper tenuity and solidity, or il
stretching seams, or in other employment
of his craft. he was never at a loss for
tune to whistle or verse to sing; and
although he sought not work-neve
went out of his little room in search o
THE was seldom without half o
whole dozen broken-down feet covering
to repair.
of course they were neighbors .wht
patronized Joe Smudd, and for reason!
that were good in themselves. The.
were: his obGging disposition, low prices
good work and promptness, and addes
to these, q song sung in q voice as clea
and as sweet as that of a silver-tongueo
canary.
Joe Smudd was, SO his neighbors said
a"splendld singer" and it pleased hin
to hear them praise his cobbler WORK
and his yoice-not that he thought him
self a better mechanic than hundred.
who depended on their aMl for living
and making what fortune favored then
with last.
Of course Joe smudd was not pun
ster. He despised playing on words
He was simply sole-mender, and
sweeter and better singer than he knew.
3 It was, perhaps, well that ne was moi
wise in this last particular.
q But, just now, work was slack, and
Christmas was at hand.
To Joe Smudd the first fact was un'
usual.
AS he sat on his bench and pondered
and sang, he wondered what had hap
pened--why it was he had no shoes te
patch up, no boots to heel and toe, mol
odd jobs to do with welting and upper
and quarter, in-sole and out-sole.
Joe Smudd was not discouraged. Not
he. He only wondered, that was all.
Well, he rather liked it, for it gave him
the opportunity he had long been seek.
imp, to study the words Of a song he had
herd a few weeks before whistled and
sung by some unknown person-a queer,
little old man with green goggles mounted
on his nose, and who, as he hazily and
huskily voiced the notes, looked steadily
iatl joe,s a III face and saiently
struck nc Hagg giifp his AL IN time
to. TIE Iise and fall Of the notes -,
And now. as.J oe ran his eyes over the
printed words and sang the time correct
sIyand sweetly, he bethought him of the
little old man with his comical action,
and laughed.
It was u low, round, good. .natured
chuckle that wellcd up from Joe Smudd's
throat when he recalled the action and
the figure of the singer: with his impor-
tant; air.
When he had finished the last line of
Z the song he murnured:
trWell, that's nice tune anyhow, and
the words are almost as good as the air.
I'd like that old gentleman whom ] first
heard sing it to listen to Inc, and tell ME
whether it's all right"
! Hardly had Joe Smudd uttered these
words when, to his. great surprise, the
lamp by which he had read the lines OF
the song began gradually to grow dim
mer, and then, with squirt, go out, leav-
ing him in total darkness.
{. HWhew" cried joe "That's funny
funny for the lamp. It never did so be-
fore; and I declare thought as it went
clean out saw the old gentleman with
goggles on his nose and his big stick in
Els hand standing there before me-"
"Did you, now." a voice, to Jocs
great CONSERVATION, cried. "Well, what
f you did, Joe Smudds Ha! ha! Don't
YOU know that there's door to your
room, a window to look out Of, and a
chimney by which the smoke from your
little stove may ascend to the airs Ha!
he! Joe Smudd, Joe Smudd, you don't
keep your door locked, do you, when
ToS-sing9 And, I'll tell you what, Joe,
it's Christmas, and you've a grand voice,
and-how Ruch money have you saved
from your laber since this time last year9
Tell me that, Noe Smudd. Hem! l
want to know it. \ Dye hear?"
And the little old gentleman, at the
close of his Grafton, struck the bare floor
three or four times With his big cane, as
if desirous of giving double, and treble
emphasis to his words.
Joe Smudd, by this time, had forgot
ten he was talking 70 an intruder,Nand
that, too. in the dark. :
With cheerful laugh he answered:
"Well, sir, I've just made thread-ends
meet. But I've waxed happy and ham
mered out a good living, including an
occasional pipe and pint, now and
then, of beer. I've Leelcd and toed 1t
fairly"
"Joe Smudd! Joe Smudd" almost
screamed the old man; "ar1 that's all
you've done with that voice OF yours"
ssThat's what I've done, mending and
making as good as new, customers shoes.
And I'd be pleased to heel and sole yours
whenever you want them fixed, and L
won't charge you ever much. Always
open for a job"
"Bah! Pshaw. Boo.oo!" cried the
visitor, in most extraordinary fashion,
raising his voice to a scream that ex-
pressed wonderful amount of contempt
and indignation. " Come with me, Joe
Smuddm
"You," replied the cobbler. "Why,
bless us, it's showing like fury, and the
wind is whstling and dancing round
the corners of the streets, and driving the
snow in peoples faces, and binding
peoples eyes, and chilling peoples
blood"
"It's Christmas Ever yelled the old
man, as if in fury ''And you want to
sit up here in this little bit of room!
Come with me, Joe. Dye hear? Come"
Now, Joe Smudd was as courageous as
any cobbler in the town, but somehow he
was brought completely under the will OF
the imperative visitor.
He tried to dcmur-to summon up
refusal, but it was of no use. Joe
Slnudd found himself rising from his seat,
and, as he stepped away from it, it oc-
Cured to him that he ought to have a
light.
Selling a box of matches he struck
one. 1t ignited, and flarcd up the mil
ionth part of second-just long enough
for him to see what appeared to be pair
of goggles of immense size and head
covered with shaggy cap, and when he
had lighted second match, which also
instantly ceased to burn, he thought he
perceived, raised high over his head. q
huge stick--very much like the one he