Charlotte messenger. [volume] (Charlotte, Mecklenburg Co., N.C.) 1882-18??, 1883-03-31

d better to
j. Rogers, Cobbler."
read it once, twice. three times, till it
began to chase itself around in nv
head. like a cat after her own tail. l
was fascinated by its faultless rhyme,
by tine lawless abandon of its capitals
think it soon would have set itself
into music in my whirling little brain,
if voice had not cried out:
"Wal, little girl, how do you like my
new sign? Don't you call that first
class poetry?"
"Yes, it's very nice poetry" an
swered. And then 1 went on boldly:
But l see word in it that isn't
spelled right"
Not spelled right? How's that I?
shall have to hobble out and take a
look at it. You're pretty noticin'
little critter. Amt yer?"
| limited that this sort of "too" was
usually spelled with two o's; but Mr.
Rogers lookel hard at the word over
his spectacles, and did not seem to
think favorably of the change.
"I'll tell We what" said he, finally.
1--WE got way, and no spellin' about
it. What's spellin' as long as folks
catch yer,idee? The idee is what yer
can't git along without"
Saying which, Mr.. Rogers took his
fist to the Objectionable to- and wrote
triumphantly in its place huge fig
ure ,.
felt baffled and helpless, and went
home with a vague sense that l had
left Mr.. Rogers sign much worse than
had found it 1t still pursued me,
however, and at dinner l said sud-
denly:
"Mamma, don't you want my shoe
as good as new, and better too?"
"Bless me !" said my grandmother.
"what ails the fhiid9 She isn't be-
ginning so early 10 be a poet, is she?'
"Oh, no." cried my father. 81
guess she's been reading old John
Rogers sign. Wife, it is a curiosity.
You must go by there. We must send
him down some old shoes. You know
he broke his leg last winter and he's
trying to work again. We must give
him lift"
So it was that next morning l found
myself again before the distracting
sign, this time with a large bundle of
old shoes in my arms. 1 lifted the
latch and stepped into the little shop.
Il declare fort, if here amt rush
of business" said Mr.. Rogers, as he
opened my bundle. "One pair of cop
per-toes. Them your little brothers?
Congress, with the 'larstic give out.
Guess that's yer grandmother's. And
here's some O. yer pas boots, with a
nice, harnsome hole in it."
And I'd like to buy some shoe
strings, too," 1 put in. feeling myself
a patron of considerable Importance.
Now, them copper-toes wouldn't
take more'n half an hour. Can't you
sit down and wait? l amt such a
great talker, but / like somebody to
speak once in a while. There's the
cat. | talk to her. She will look very
knowing; but the minute my backs
turned she's fast aseep. That amt
tlatterin', yer see, and / stop"
sat down, and while / listened
used my eyes as we'll The sunlight
fought its way through the dusty
window frames, and diffused itself
impartially over the floor, with its
wide, dirt-filled cracks. The decora-
ton of these walls was of a humble
order. although by no means uninter-
esting. In the first place. there were
huge auction-bills, in every stage of
yellowness and dirt. My grandmother
kept an obituary scrapbook; but, as L
;afterward found out, it was Mr.
Rogers practice to cherish the auction
bills of his departed friends. Amos
Belden had peacefully slept with his
fathers for thirteen years or more, but
in J. Rogers shop it was still pro
claimed, in giant type, that he wished
to sell "ten milch cows and six healthy
yearlings."
Nor was this all. Ten years before
"A misguided Snowman had come 10
our little town, and had solemnly re-
treated the next day, with more ex-
perience than profits but his advent
still lived in the handbills on Mr..
Rogers' walls. Behind the old man,
as he patiently bent over his work, an
interesting family Of lions were sport
ing; while on the door we're set forth,
in vivid pictures. the accomplishments
of "The Fairy of the Ring" ayoung
woman in very scanty retiiccats. The
ceiling, too, had its share Of decora-
ton. From It hung, among festoons
OF cobwebs, a broken bird-cage q BAT
cred Chinese lantern, whose light had