Evening capital. (Annapolis, Md.) 1884-1910, 1891-07-13
THE sABOTS


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
toners 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 happy busy
heart.
To 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 his hut he had
set a 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 the
| 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
auis 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,
N. lie Marquis5"
@Yes.
aAnd if made her pair you'd take
them TO her, M. le Marquis?"
Surely, if you can make such as shall
he 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
ured by the young wife and the aged
dame. DarazOu, with his pair of sabots,
knocked at the chateau gate and asked
for NJ. le Marquis.
aItisI," 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 bt
sure that viii 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 T. T
L.v. As for the point, since it was foI
a roval foot, the simple cobbler had exag
gerated il little. The marquis took thf
sabots and carefully examined them, ad
miring them, yet smiling, too; for wei
he knew the meaning Of the letters writ
ten on the shoes Of every isncee In Au
vergne.
Darazou hurried home and underneath
his tiny portrait Of the queen he heavily
traced in black the four mystica
characters. General de Lafayette lef
. for Paris, carrying TO Trianon, as he ha'
promised, the sabots Of Auvergne; no
did he forget to tell their story, for tn
court was ever ready for shepherd tale
The queen was greatly pleased; rea
country sabots from the hands of rea
sabot maker Of the mountainsl and 8
quaint and queerl
~The heart surrounded with rays, .
they make the Virgins head, undeE
. stand; but T. I. L. ", Marquiss"
@Your majesty alone can permit me Q
! command me to declare their meaning.
II II listen, Marquis. permit you.
~Taimerai touta la vida.
~Well9T exclaimed Marie Antoinett'
greatly puzzled.
@PatoiB Of Auvergne. Otherwise, >
f'aims raj toute Ia WE'LL love thee m
= E~.~wu