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

AIas! anu etlll olaeI
Why doth the world prevail1
Why doth the spirit fAil,
And hide itself away ,., ..q.- ...- -.z,.s...-
Behind its vail Of clay, -
Sia CO ti.De began1 Alasl
Why doostt come TO pas.7-Nora Perry. III.
"A SHOEMAKER'S STORY.
was uorn In the Luxembourg Just
about tifty years ago. Goodness! How I
used to work at the bench when l was a
lad. sewing and hammerine, hammering
and sewing on boots and shoes. There
was that dear OIL father of NINE, with his
trimmed spectacles perched on his nose,
who set me all example of thrift and
honesty. "Above ALL" he used to say to
us, for brother then worked With me,
"be good shoemaker. Never scamp
anything. Do the best you can, and do
1t all the time" We would work from
sunrise far into tho night. The pay we
got was little enough. so small that We
used to watch the candle that fluttered
IN the wind. and worry over its cost. II
We worked very, very hard, and custom
was good, we might count on gain of II
sous each. but sometimes We would all
stop pegeing away because the, poor peo-
pie in our village had no 'noney to spend
for shoes. On, how difficult it was 10
buy sack of flour, or a little scrap of
meat! We lived from hand to month.
Poor old father, do what We csuld to
help bin, he get into debt. and owed at
one time as much as 30 francs. What
huge sum that seemed to me to be!
What whole mountain OF embarrass-
ment!
l starved myself in order to put lit.
tie money aside. One day said to faith.
er: ''This thing don't work. am going
to clear out. l can't stand it." "You
will leave me. l2y son? Your poor old
father Is an incnmb rance to you?"
mo, not at all. But must 20 away TO
work for him. ut is well" re Piled nv
father. You are a good shoemaker.
Your stitches are strong and even. You
shape well. Go see the world, and Gods
blessing accompany you"
went to Paris and led = memorable
life there isr time. I hardly gained
my bread at first. The habits of the
Partisan shoemakers Mortified me, for
had been brought up oy pious father.
was good workman, however, and
after q while found steady employment,
but could help poor father, but little.
Obi it used to make my heart sore to
think Of him ctamRed up in his little
dingy room, working away for dear life,
with meagre reward of crust of dry
bread. The habits of economy he had
taught me elped me then. I scraped
together sou by sou. and at last sent HIM
ten francs. He wrote me that the sum
had saved him from being turnes out of
his poor ole, chamber. "rhis will never
d." said l. ~ must go somewhere
else. am good shoem .ker, and my
experience in Paris has given me the
finishing touch. I must 20 some where
else. where the art Of Crispin will be ap-
preclated."
One fine day in 1860 took place
as landsman on an English barque, from
Havre to Boston. landed in the Uni
ted States with just forty cents 1.-TWO
francs) in my pocket. l sought work at
once. saw in little shoemaker's shop
up narrow street sign written on pa
per and stuck on the glass with waters.
could not read it. did not kn,w q
single word of English then, but over
the door was German name. l made
bold to enter, and talked German to the
proprietor. Sit down." he said, ION
that bench and sew me on that sole !"
II am q fair shoemaker, and you will
see,," l replied. 1t was pleasure to
seemed to know me. How l blessed my
latner thenl MY boss was satisfied anu
l got job right of al one dollar q day
and nay food. This was fortune to me
then, worked for six months steadily
and, save Tor a second hand pair Of
trousers bought by me at \ bargain.
boarded every penny. sent tue dear
old father so dollars and back came his
blessing. He wrote he had never seen
SO much money at one time in his lie.
But l was ambitious. Just then the
California fever was raging. Something
told me to 20 to the Pacific coast. 1 TOOK
ship and crossed the lsthmus. Just be-
fore arriving at San Francisco there was
heavy gale; We came near being ship
wrecked, and lost my hat. lemem-
dollar exactly. On board there was
carousink shoemaker, who had
been sent from the east 10y a man who
kept shop at San Francisco. heard
him say he had come before his time,
and that, any how, il he could do no
better, he was going to- work at cobbing.
He mentioned the name OF the man
who was to hire him, and had lis
consent TO apply for the place.
went to tho shoe chop at once and
asked for the position. ut is given to
another man who ought to be here soon
and can't make use of you. Besides
you have no hat." THAT makes no
difference" replied. II see shoemak.
crs wages ut S. u day lit was the flush
time for California then) give me S. and
feed me and only let mo stay ill the
man you hired tur1s up. for 1 am in
kind of grudylnx consent. Then / slept
that night in the shop. When the mas-
ter came to the place he found every
thing in elegant order, and had ade
S. before breakfast by mending boot.
i suited him exact!y-for am good
shoemaker. lived with that man 'or
year, and >aved all my money. I sent
the dear old fellow at home 500. If
you could only have seen the letter that
came back! The blessed old daddy want
ed to know If I thought he Was spend
thrift, That $l0O he WAS going to make
10 for the next three years. There was
chance ! heard OF IN sacramento, /
went there. my master giving me some
Of his sl,opworn stock. did q
splendid business. In six months
I had made for my share
5000. Ny fortune. was before me.
Poor old daddy was not forgotten. l
got cross letter from him this time.
The poor simple soul wanted to know
whether thought he was going to the
lloua Did want 4, make him Il nm /.
ard, gourmand, and put all kinds of
temptation in his way? Too much
money vas the source of all evil. was
robbinxl,nyselt to pamper hi,n-bat for
al that there was lot Of sweetness in
Well, Thought that fortune was now
mine. But one night bid fire broke
out and l was burned out. Fires occur
red at Sacramento every night and
were the work of thieves. I gat cred
together the few pairs of boots could