The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1891-09-18
THE SABOTS.

fayette, kept the old family chateau,
Chavaniac, in Auvergne, large, strong,
seignoirial building, yet without comeli.
ness or character. Not far away, among
tall forests of beeches and chestnuts,
steep, rocky heights arose. Under the
dim green light of these broad wood
lands dwelt in their rude cabins and
labored shoulder to shoulder charcoal
burners and resin gatherers, bushel
makers. and coopers, cobblers, and FASH
toner's of clapboards and laths-the whole
tribe of workers in wood. And this
little people ate and hewed together in
the open air under leafy shadows, ming
ling the deafening blows of axe and ham.
mer, the grindings of files, and the graf
ings of saws, with the slowly curling
smoke and the lowtoned songs that rose
to heaven from many a happy busy
heart.
70 this company belonged an orphan
cobbler boy, pensive and timid and silent,
who apart from the rest cut and clipped,
pared and pointed, followed and pol.
ished the sabots that he made. His
name was Razou; in the city would have
been Raison-Reason but the easy,
careless people of the province had
rounded its sharp, rough corner and soft.
ened it to their own liking. But since
he lived alone and spoke but little, the
neighbors thought him dull and stupid
and dubbed him Darazou-Deraison-
lacking wit. And then because under
an old musket hanging in Ms hut he had
set little picture of Marie Antoinette
they laughingly whispered sometimes to
one another that he was in love with
their beautiful queen.
One day General de Lafayette came
from Paris to the castle of Chavaniac. II
was in those days that at Trianon the
French court played the pastoral under
the leadership of NJ. de Florian, captain
of the dragons; and the rich, grand
seigneurs and the fair great ladies of tho
land diguised themselves as swains and
millers and country schoolmasters, as
shepherd girls and milkmaids. 'Tis said
they all wore sabots, dainty ones, to be
sure, but veritable wooden shoes, with
Marie Antoinette the first among them.
Such was the story which the good Mar
quis de Lafayette brought to the eager
listeners in his neighboring forests, and
Darazou was there, most eager listener of
them all.
"The queen, then, wears wooden shoon,
NJ. lie Marquis?"
"Yes."
"And if made her a pair you'd take
them to her, NJ. lie Marquis?"
Surely, if you can make such as shall
be more beautiful than any sweetheart
ever wore, and fine enough for our gentlo
queen"
And Darazou was off. Night and day
he worked, nor stopped till he made in
truth handsome pair, such as the Au-
vergne peasant fondly fashions for the
maiden of his choice; and they-for they
are the wedding sabots-are ever treas
ared by the young wife and the aged
lame. Darazou, with his pair of sabots,
shocked at the chateau gate and asked
for NJ. lie Marquis.
1T is l." he said, "and here are the
wooden shoon.
You have made them, to be sure; and
they might well be for your sweetheart,
for they are beautiful; and you may be
sure that will give them to the queen.
And indeed they were beautiful; of
chestnut wood, and narrow and cered
and elegant finely cut and carved with
delicate ornament; upon the toe was
wrought heart encircled with rays and
wreathed above it these four letters 7. T.
l.. V. AS for the point, since it was for
royal foot, the simple cobbler had exag-
gerated it little. The marquis took the
,abots and carefully examined them, adj
miring them, yet smiling, too; for well
ne knew the meaning of the letters writ
ten on the shoes of every fiancee in Au.
vergne.
Darazou hurried home and underneath
his tiny portrait of the queen he heavily
traced in black the four mystical
characters. General de Lafayette left
for Paris, carrying to Trianon, as he had
promised, the sabots of Auvergne; nor
did he forget to tell their story, for the
court was ever ready fort a shepherd tale.
The queen was greatly pleased; real
country sabots from the hands of a real
sabot maker of the mountains! and SO
quaint and queer!
The heart surrounded with rays, as
they make the Virgins head I under
9tand; but T. T. L. ", Marquis?"
Your majesty alone can permit me or
command me to declare their meaning"
Il listen, Marquis permit you"
"Taimerai touta la vida"
"Well?" exclaimed Marie Antoinette,
greatly puzzled. ...........
"Patois of Auvergne. Otherwise, Je
taime raj toute la WE'LL love thee my
whole life long," and NJ. de Lafayette
laughed heartily. Not so the queen,
and she said nothing. r-
THE curious fact is that my simple
young cobbler adores you under the form
Of a small image, yet very like your
majesty" z ga E a'rf
Brave boy! Poor fellow!" murmured
the queen, deeply moved. "The sabots,
NJ. lie Marquis, are, think, little large
but so much the better for the reward
nd Morin Antn;,ntto nI,1 L., A.,