The Iowa plain dealer. [volume] (New Oregon, Howard County, Iowa) 1867-1895, 1891-09-03
Halls SHOES.


Hal had been around the corner of
the street to see Mr. Mason. Mr..
Mason is a cobbler who has 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 faint cloud
on his little brown seven-year-old face.
He curled himself up in a big chair
opposite his mamma, and watched her
sew for some time without making the
slightest noise, or 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 it 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.
/ guess that 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.
1.-The trouble is, mamma" he insist
ed, climbing up on the arm of his chair
in mis- eagerness, '.you buy your shoes
in stores-nearly every body does-and
then. of course, Mr.. Mason can't get
much to do. You think they are cheap
er. but they wear out. oh, v-e-e-ry much
quicker; they do; Mr.. Mason told me SO.
! want Mr.. Mason to make me a pair.
He's friend of mine, and father al
ways says stand by your friends.
Mayn't he-mayn't he, mamma?'
Mamma replied that as I.al 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 that evening. waiting for the
head Of the house to return from down
town.
Father" he began, while that gen.
latch-kcy, Il want some new shoes
need them. and want Mr.. Mason to
make them. He
Il 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 so
anxious to get job for Mr.. Mason that
he actually managed by the greatest
self-control to be patient, and keep the
word shoes off his lips for full hour.
But when his father was drinking his
la IL 1al la nd
said.
Now, father, it's after dinner, and /
want Mr. Mason to make me some
shoes"
''IIey, what? Is it new game !?
It's after dinner, and Mr.. Mason makes
Shoes is that it? What do say next?"
''Yon say: Yes, my son. cried Hal.
clapping his hands. Its such a nice
game; you go on. and you'll see.'
1t was 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 pair of pat
ent-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 meant to do. ''Unle SIS
| Mr.. Mason's shoes last long time. we
can't afford to buy them" she went OH,
and then Hal looked 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 Roseboro, in Harper's Young Peo-
pie.