Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1891-07-02
THE QUEENS SAB0TS.


seignorial building, yet without come
illness or character. Not far away,
among tall forests of beeches and chest
nuts, steep, rocky heights arose. Under
the dim green light of these broad
woodlands dwelt in their rude cabins
and labored shoulder to shoulder char
coal burners and resin gatherers, bushel
makers, and coopers, cobblers, and
fashioners 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.
mingling the deafening blows of ax and
hammer, the grindings of flies, and the
gratings of saws, with the slowly curl
ing smoke and the low toned songs that
rose to heaven from many happy busy
heart
To this company belonged an orphan
cobblcr boy, pensive and timid and
silent, who apart from the rest cut and
clipped, pared and pointed, followed and
polished the sabots that he made. His
name was Razou; in the city it would
have been Raison-Reason; but the easy,
careless people of the province had
rounded its sharp, rough corner and
softened 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 his hut he had
set little picture of Marie Antoinette,
they laughinglv whispered sometimes to
one another that he was in love with
their beautiful queen.
One day General dc La Fayette came
from Paris to the castle of Chavaniac. 1t
was in those days that at Trianon the
French court played the pastoral under
the leadership of NJ. de Florian, captain
of the dragoons; and the rich, grand
seigneurs and the fair, great ladies of
the land disguised 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 Marquis de La Fayette brought to
forests; and Darazou was there, most
eager listener of them all.
'The queen, then, wears wooden
shoon, M. lie Marquis?"
eyes"
"And if made her a pair you'd take
them to her, NJ. lie Marquis?'
Surely, if yeu cen make sueh as slzsA
tNnS A,,I 4, -
ever wore, and fine enough for our
gentle queen"
And Darazou was off. Night and day
he worked, nor stopped till he had made
in truth a handsome pair, such as the
Auvergne peasant fondly fashions for
the maiden of his choice and they
for they are the wedding sabots-are
ever treasured by the young wife and
the aged DAME Darazou, with his pair
of sabots, knocked at the chateau gate
and asked for NJ lie Marquis.
sit is l." he said, land here are the
wooden shoon."
"You have made them, to be sure; and
they might we'll 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 a heart encircled with rays, and
wreathed above it these four letters, "T.
T. L. "" AS for the point, since it was
for royal foot, the simple cobbler had
exaggerated it little. The marquis
took the sabots and carefully examined
them, admiring them, yet smiling, too;
for well he knew the meaning of the let
ters written on the shoes of every fancee
in Auvergne.
Darazou hurried home, and underneath
his tiny portrait of the queen he heavily
traced in black the four mystical char
acters. General de La Fayette 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 for shepherd tale.
The queen was greatly pleased. Real
country sabots from the hands Of real
sabot maker of the mountains! and so
quaint and queer!
"The heart surrounded with rays, as
they make the Virgins head, under
stand; but IT. T. l.. w. marquis?"
"Your majesty alone can permit me or
command me to declare their meaning"
81 listen, marquis. Ipermit YOU"
"Taimerai touta Ia vida"
"WellT' exclaimed Marie Antoinette,
greatly puzzled.
"Patois of Auvergne. Otherwise, 'Je
taime raj toute la WE'LL love thee my
whole life long;'" and M. de La Fayette
laughed heartily. Not so the queen, and
she said nothing.
"Ths curious fact is that my simple
young cobbler adores you under the
form of small image, yet very like your
majesty"
"Brave boy! Poor fellow!" murmured
the queen, deeply moved. "The sabots,
M. le Marquis, are, think, little
large; but so much the better for the re-
ward" and Marie Antoinette spoke low
in the ear of the Princess de Lambelle,
who took the sabots, went out quickly
and soon came back, bringing them we'll
filed with gold.
marquis, put this gold in casket
and send it to your cobbler with the
The system all deranged see,
Y0ur hillinna N hi Oh do0raa