The weekly Thibodaux sentinel and journal of the 8th Senatorial District. [volume] (Thibodaux, Lna. [i.e. La.]) 1875-1898, 1886-01-09
Ggt dbibooaux 5tntinel
SATURDAY, JAN. 8, 1856.
HAMS SHOES.

-Germany, beautiful country OF le-
gends and of dreams, where. from the
moonlight and mists of old Rhine, rise
strange and fantastic visions.
On the outskirts of il village, in an
humble cottage, n poor woman lived
alone. A chlld'> cradle, quite new and
most delicately dressed. with Il dainty
lowered coverlet. embroidered hy an
untiring needle-a mothers needle,
making beautiful her baby's couch
was the richest furniture of the poor
abode. The child of II hurgOmaster
con!d not have been more softly land
to rest. Sacred proligality. sweett"ol
ishness of a mother, depriving herself
of everything to make. in the midst OF
her misery, a little spot OF I~uxuriousness
for her beloved bah !. Al! the small,
plain room was frightened by the era
die Nature, always compassionate to
the unhappy, had draped the bare walls
of the cottage with bright tapestry of,
leaves and moss-iike velvet. Plying
kindly plants. though parasites seem
and made it splendid as Il brides bou-
quet, while keeping the ram from fall
ing on the cradle. End ; igeons hutter-
ed against the window. cooling until the
baby went to sleep. So, though a poor
abode, it was not a gloomy one.
HAMS mother. whose husband had
died in the wars far away managed to
live in some way or other Oh the few
vegetables that grew in her garden
and on the earnings OF her wheel.
These were'very small, but they We're
enough, for HAMS wanted for nothing.
Certainly she was a good and il piouS
woman, HAMS mother. She worked
hard, she prayed fervently she prac-
ticed all Christian virtues. Bat she
fell into one fault she was too well sat
isfed with herself and her heart swell
ed with pride over her son. Because
this beauteous bud had opened in her
arms. HAMS mother thought was she
who had given it being, aud God, who
sees all that passes on the earth and
hears the sound ola grass blade burst
ing from its sheath, saw this and was
1,nt p1ooonl IJn COW" ofer Chat II,,r
was growing greedy, and that his moth-
er INDUCED him in hi~ greedines-.
Now, it happened that HAMS fit i'll,
he was scorched with fever. amrhis
breath whistled and slrangled in his
throat. He Rad the Group. that terrible
illness, that has Redeemed so many
mothers eyes, The poor woman ieQk-
ed at her child wllu with grief.
During the last days Of HAMS illness
his mother. watching by him, never
ceased her spinning, and the hum of
the wheel mingled with the child's last
rafting breath. She was spinning flag
for the shroud of her little Hanz. She
would no, wrap about that dear body
cloth that had ever been used, and, as
she had no money, her wheel must 60
round. swiftly, mournfulIy. But she
did not now, rs usual. draw the thread
across her lip tears fell from her eyes
to wet it.
At the close of the sixth day IIanz
died. When the mother knew indeed
that the breath had fled forever from
those lips she drew the sheet over the
face she had loved too fondly, took her
spinning beneath her arm, and set out
for the weaver'S house.
"Weaver," she said. here is some
thread, spun fine and smooth, without
knot or break that the spider spins be-
tween the raftcrs of the ceiling is lot
softer, From this thread you must
make me a piece of cloth soft and fine
as Holland linen
The weaver made ready his frame,
and the busy shuttle, drawing the
thread after it. went flying to and fro,
and the cloth was woven without a
break, without a knot, soft and fine as
the linen with which the priest wipes
off the dust from the c%llalice on the al
tar. When it was finished the weaver
gave the cloth to the poor mother, say
ing, for he knew the meaning of the