New Ulm weekly review. [volume] (New Ulm, Minn.) 1878-1892, 1884-03-05

a fortune.
I didn't cry over things much, for I
am a good shoemaker, and that is al
ways solid capital. l had q little
money in my pocket, and went to
San Francisco. knew my old master
would take me back, and he did so. /
resumed my old place. There was an
auctioneer among his customers with
the tenderest feet I ever saw. and as l
am shoemaker that explains all my
good luck. This auctioneer had been
grumbling ever since left San Francis
co. When he saw me he was delighted.
''At least now" he said, II am out of
my great misery. l shall limp no long
err At once made him a pair Of
shoes, and he was delighted.
One day he said to me: II had an
auction yesterday, and put up without
getting single bidder q lot of very fine
French boots. They won't sell because
there is glut of boots on the market.
They were imported a year ago, but the
shape is out OF fashion now. 1t was a
saAAFs BIB SbsB. DDw is is u YDNNN ODE:
Do you buy them?" ''HOw mncha'' I
asked. "Make your own price" ..But
I have no money" THAT makes no
difference; you may have them on cred
it; pay me when you can. went to
look at those cases of boots. They were
of the finest quality, and excellent as to
make. Some of them were cavalry
boots, but such as only dandy horsemen
or general officers wear. Remember, I
am good shoemaker and know my
trade. bought those boots at 81 a
pair. The leather alone was worth
twice that. At night l used to work on
them. I made the square toes pointed
for | am good shoemaker. Some OF
them l cut down into bootees. Oh!
worked night after night on them after
hours Then hired small shop and
hung up few pairs in the window.
AMexican came first. ''How much?''
Ten dollars" He took the boots.
Then a miner passed. "How much?''
Fifteen dollars" Then gentleman
on fine horse came by and looked
from his horse at the boots, and he tied
up his horse and asked, ':How much?''
twenty dollars" He put double
eagle down. l must have made So, 800
clear on those boots, and I put in my
pocket &c., 900 in three weeks. work
ed on for year and made money in my
trade steadily. for am good shoe
maker. Then got married in San
Francisco to woman l loved, and my
married life has been a very happy one.
1t was pang when said to my wife.
II must leave you my love, for a short
time-only long enough to pay my dear
old daddy a visit" Ileft my business
in her charge. 1t was voyage of bus
mess and pleasure, for went to Paris
to buy goods:
Poor. old daddy! There was
the same magpie in the wicker
work basket, and he saluted me, for he
remembered me. When was little
boy stuck tail of false feathers on
him with some cobblers wax. He never
forgot me, and ruffied his feathers at me
as soon as he saw me, as if my insult to
him had been of recent date. There
was hardly change in the room.
There hung fathers old watch, as big as
saucer, ticking away, with spray Of
lockwood over it for luck. Then there
was on the shelf the same old earthen-
ware jug. The handle broke one un-
fortunate day, and piece of leather
was bound around it, and it hung on a
nail by thong. He had the same awl
in his hand-at least it was the same
handle, for once came near getting q
thrashing for having whitfield It. Even
an old almanac of a year long gone
past was there, tackled on the wall with
shoe brads. He had on the same apron,
only it was worn thinner.
The dear old father was bending over
his work, pounding slowly at some bits
of leather on a last. You could count
one, two, three, four between tho ham
merings. In my time it was rat-tat-tat,
like drum beating with no intervals
between the strokes. l strobe in and
the old gentleman first looked at my
feet; that was way he had. At a
glance, for he was the king of the shoe
makers, he could take in all the differ
ence between your foot and the feet of
the rest of the world. He looked and
looked again. He must have recognize
ed family foot, for I saw his hand
tremble, then he pushed up his great
steel-rimmed, spectacles and the tears
ran down his cheeks rs he rose and
tottered and then fell into my arms
How we kissed one another. my son,
my son, you would never have succeeded
had you not been good shoemaker;
you never scamped anything; you did
the best you could all the time" was
what he said when I told him of nv
good luck. Like my dear old daddy
did before me-" added. Then kick
ed over his workbench and said, mo
more work for you. old pappy, for am
rich. have wife; have baby-a
boy baby, named after you-and you
are to take the cars-6rst-class NOR
row or the day afterward and come post
haste out of the old country to Califor-
mia. so that grandchild shall sit on your
knee. and you shall teach him to be
honest and pious, and to love you.
"And may not make him good
shoemaker" he asked. "But you 90
too fast. Let me think it over. You
ask me to leave this old Luxembourg,
where was born. I should never see
again the grave where your mother,
my good wife, has slept for the last
thirty odd years. don't know. am
very old. should be in the way. l
love my old trade. Do they wear shoes
in California? May cobble there?
assure you. though the hog-bristles
bother me just little at times. and nv
hammer moves just trife slower, still
l can tlrn out q very decent job. I
wonder if l cannot beat you now.
Come let US try
To please the old man, ] took up
bit OF work and commenced on it. ut
was well done. said father admiringly.
II see you have not forgotten my les
sons. Perhaps that one stitch there is
not quite-quite as even as it should be.
Ny remarks don't worry you? Still,'
and he held out with his shaky hands
the old boot near his eye, lit will pass
At last the blessed old man consent
ed to 60 with me. Next day we had
feast in the village. All the old cronies
Il