The Iowa plain dealer. [volume] (New Oregon, Howard County, Iowa) 1867-1895, 1883-10-18


trimmed spectacles, and the tears ran
down his cheeks ms he rose and tottcrcd
and then fell into my arms. How wa
kissed ono another!
My son, my son, you never would
have succeeded had You not been q
good shoemaker; yon never scamped
anything; you did the best you could
NIL the time was what he said when |
told him Of my good luck.
Like my Il, NJ old daddy did before
me-" aided. Then kicked over hi,
work bench nnd said, NO more work
for you, old pappy. for | am rich. /
have wife: have baby boy baby,
named after you and yon are to take
the ears, tirst-class, tomorrow or the
day aftrrward, and come post haste out
Of the old country to California, 50 that
your grandchild may sit on your knee,
nnd YOU shall teach him to be- honest
md pious and to love YOU,
And may | not make him good
shocmnker?" he asked But You 20
too fast. Let me think over II. You
nsk me to leave this old Luxembourg,
where l was born. ! should never se.
again the grave where your mother, my
good wife, has slept for this last thirty
odl years. don't know. nm very
old. should he in tho way. love
my old trade. DO they wear shoes in
California; May ! cobble there? !
assure you, though the hog-bristles
bother me just u little ut times, and my
hammer moves just n triilr slower, still
/ can turn ont very decent job.
wonder II l cannot beat you now.
Come, let us try"
To please the old man l took up bii
Of work and commenced .on it.
at was we'll DONE" said father, nd
miringly. Il see you have not for
gotten my lessons. Perhaps that one
stitch there is not quite quite AZ ever
M ii should bc. My remarks don,
worry youp STILL" and he held on,
with his shakv hands the old boot neal
his eye, 1t will pass MUSTER"
AT last the blessed old man con.
sented to go with me. Next day ".
had feast in the village. All the old
cronics were invited-the cooper, ths
matchmaker, the butcher, the drover
the tailor and the tax collector. Til,
curatc gave the party his blessing. oh
| what good time we had! The oil,
man was introduced to every one as NJ.
tho American shoemaker. who ha,
learned his trade in the Luxembourg.
We kept il up NIL that afternoon an,
late into tho evening. II was feas
as that sleepy old town will remembe
for many a day. Just occasionally
noticed that tho old man weakene,
when some ancient chum took him b,
the hand to bid him gool.bv. Then
would say. "Dear daddy, it's you
gandchild that claims you. How til,
deuce do you ever expect that he vii
TIC a good shoemaker without you
teaching himg" That was M all-pow
erful argument. The blessed old maj
made the trip with mo across the oceal
with much fatigue. How glad my wifi
was to see her husband and his father
and, as to the baby, he went at onc
into his grandpapa's arms.
OF course. father was too old to e
To work, but still he insisted on havin,
his bench. As he grew feeblcr, tn
stitches became more uneven. and W
were often alarmed about the awl slip
ping, which might have pricked hin,
He lived. though, happily with us 70
some years. He grew more unstead,
day by day, and wandered a little; bu
still he would spend an hour or tw
every day at the beach. He made
goat harness for tho little boy, an,
quite u number of pretty things i
leather.
One day / heard him in his room
tapping. tapping away on his lap-ston
with more than ordinary vigor. The
listened to him. He said: A GOO
iob-a very good job. Capital, thong
l ought not to praise myself. Their
never was Int one man who could equa
me. and that was my dear. dear son
and his son. my grandson. shall also b
n iirst.class shoemaker. II the good Go.
whose name be blessed, only let's m
live little, avery little longer"
/ And then / heard the rattle Of th
hammer, as il it had dropped on til
tloor, and went into his room, an
there the dear old man had passe
quietly away with last prayer on h
lips. There are no shoemakers now,
days like in the old times.