The home journal. (Winchester, Tenn.) 1858-188?, 1883-11-07
STORY OF A SII0E-M MAKER.

Twas born in the Luxembourg Just
about so years ago. Goodness How
used 20 work at the bench when was n
lad, orviug and hammering, hammering
and s ainr IN boots and shoes. There
was that dear old father of mine, with
Lis big steel-rimmcd spccaclcs pcrched
on his nose, who set me an example of
th'' and honesty.
.bove all, he would say to us, for
bro her then worked with me, "be n
GOOD shoemaker. Never scamp any.
thing. Do the best You can, and do it
all the time"
We would work from sunrise till far
into the night. The pay we got was
little enough, 20 small that we used to
watch the candle that futtered in the
wind, and worry over its cost. If we
worked very, very hard, and custom was
good, we might count on gain of 10
sous each, but sometimes we would all
stop pegging away because the poor
people in our village had no money to
pay for shoes. Oh how difficult it was
to buy sack OF coarse flour or little
scrap of meat. We lived from hand to
mouth. Poor old father, do what We
could to help him, he got into debt and
owed at one time as much MS 80 francs.
What huge sum that seemed to me to
be what whole mountain of embar.
rassment!
starved myself in order to put little
money aside. One day said to father:
"This thing don't work. 1 am going
l." clear out. I can't stand it,"
"You will leave me, my son? Your
poor old father is ian ncumbrance to
yon2"
"No, not at all. But must 60 away
TO work for him."
1T is well, replied my father. "You
are n good shoe maker. Your stitches
are strong and even. You shape well.
Go see the world, and Gods blessing
accompany you.
went to Paris and led miserable
life there for time. / hardly gained
lny Tread ut first. The habits of the
Parsian shoemaker Mortified me, for l
had been brought up by pious father.
was good workman, however, and
after while found steady employment,
but ! could help poor father but very
little. Oh it used to make my heart
sore TO think of him cramped up in his
little, dingy room, working away for
dear life, with the meagre reward of n
crust Of dried bread. The habits of
economy he had taught me helped me
then. l scraped together sou by sou
and at Inst sent him 1Of. He wrote me
that the sum had saved him from being
turned out Of his poor old chamber.
"This will never do" said. 81 must
60 somewhere else. l am good shoe
maker, and my experience in Paris has
given me the finishing touch. lmust
90 somewhere else, where the art of
CrApin will be appreciated. One fine
dayin1S50 I took place Ms landsman
oman English bark, from Havre to Bos-
ion ! landed in the United States with
Just 40 cents (2f.) in my pocket. 1souGht
work at once. I saw in little sh"c
makers shcp up narrow street slg
written on paper and stuck on the gla1s.
with waters. / could not read 1t. | di'
not know single wopd of English then
but over the door there was Germai
name. made bold to enter and talked
German to the proprietor.
"Sit down." he said, "on that bench
and sew me on that sole."
II nm fair shoemaker, as you vii
see," replied.
1t was pleasure to take hold OF tn
tools once more; they seemed to kno'
me, How l blessed my father then
My boss was satisfied, and got a lo
right off at 81 day and my food. Tha
was fortune to me then. I worked 10
SIX months steadily and, save for sc
cond. .hand pair of trousers. bought b
me at q bargain, 1 boarded every penny
sent the dear old father $50, and bac
came his blessing. He wrote he M
never seen 80 much money at one tim
IN his life. But was ambitious. Jul
then the California fever was ragin!
oomethingtold me to go to the Paciil
coast. Itook ship and crossed the Istl
mus. just before arriving at San Fra
''sco there was heavy gale; We can
near being shipwrecked, nnd ] lost II
mt. remember that quite we'll.
landed IN San Francisco with 81 exactl
on board there was q carousing she