Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1891-09-03
Halls SHOES.

why He Wanted TO Patronize Mr.. Mason.
Hal had been around the corner of
the street 10 see Mr.. Mason. Mr..
Mason is a cobbler who has a little
shop on the avenue, and between whom
and Hal a strong friendship existed.
Hes one of my best friends" Hal
often explains TO unfortunate people
who have not the happiness of know
ing Mr.. Mason.
To-day he came in with a faint cloud
on his little brown sev~en-year-old face
He curled himself up in a big chair
opposite his and watched her
sew for some time without making the
slightest noise, o. in any way betray-
ing his presence.
At last, wondering what was the
matter with him, she said: what
makes my son so quiet?'
Mamma he broke forth, ignoring
the question. you know Mr.. Mason's
very poor. Well, you thought il was
good when he got that other man to
help him-help him make shoes. Now
let me tell you, he has to pay that man.
l guess hat makes him poorer than
ever"
Mamma tried to combat this gloomy
view, but Hal was inclined to hold to
his impressions, and to advocate his
own remedies.
The trouble is. mamma, . he insist
ed, climbing up on the arm of his chair
in his eageruess, you buy your shoes
in stores-nearly everybody does-and
then, of course, Mr.. Mason can't get
much to do. You think they are cheap
er, but they wear ont, oh, v-e-e-ry much
quicker; they do; Mr.. Mason told me 50,
| want Mr.. Mason to make me a pair.
He's a friend of mine, and father al
ways says stand by your friends.
Mayn't he-mayn't he, mamma?'
Mamma replied that as Hal was try
ing to follow his fathers precepts he
had better ask him for the shoes.
Hal stood on the front steps for half
an hour hat evening, waiting for the
head of the house to II from down
town.
Father, he began, while that gen.
tleman was feeling in his pocket for his
latch-key, Il want some new shoes. !
need them, and want Mr., Mason tc
make them. lie
II don't want to hear anything about
shoes before dinner, Hal, was the re-
ply he was met with before he could
state his argument, and Hal was 50
anxious to get a job for Mr.. Mason that
he actually managed by the greatest
se~lf-control to be patient, and keep the
word shoes off his lips for a full hour.
But when his father was drinking his
coffee he climbed on his knee, and
said.
Now, father, it's after dinner, and l
want Mr.. Mason to make me some
shoes"
"Hey, what? is it a new game ?
It's after dinner, and Mr.. Mason makes
shoes is that it? What do / say nextq"
lyon say: Yes, my son. cried Hal,
clapping his hands. Its such a nice
game; you go on, and you'll see"
1t was a game that Hal won-or was
it Mr.. Mason? Which would you say >
for the next day, with his small
frame swelling with kindness and tri-
umph, Hal went to the little shop on
the avenue, and ordered a pair Of pat
e~nt-leather shoes. He had learned
enough shoe-lore from Mr.. Mason. you
see, TO know which were the most ex-
pensive, and so he insisted on that
kind When they came home he put
them on at once. and half an hour later
his mother found him very vigorously
jumping on and off the steps in front of
the house.
You'll wear out your new shoes very
soon at that rate she said, and then
she saw by the half-mischievous embar-
rassment on his face that that was ex-
actly what he mean to do. UNLESS
Mr.. Mason's shoes last a long time. we
can't afford to buy them" she went on,
and then Hallooked troubled, and came
into the house and took off his new
shoes.
! think that between wanting to get
another job for Mr.. Mason and wanting
to show how good his shoes are, Hal
has some difficulty these days in decid-
ing Just when TO wear patent-leather
and when not to; but | imagine his be-
wilderment results in giving the shoes
a very fair chance to show what they
are. for they are wearing very WE'LL
Viola R~oseboro. in Harper's Young Peo-
u