The Dalles daily chronicle. [volume] (The Dalles, Or.) 1890-1948, 1891-07-16
THE QUEENS SABOTS.


Chavaniac. in Auvergne. "a large. strong.
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. bnshel
makers, and coopers, eobblers, and
fashioners OF clapboards and lathsT-th
whole tribe of workers in wood. And
this little people ate and hewed together
m the open air under leafy shadows,
mingliug the deafening blows of AK 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 a 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
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
eoftened it to their own liking, But since
he lived alone and spoke but little the
neighbors thoughthim dull and stupid
and dubbed him Deraison-
hacking 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 de La Fayette came
n. A., e t.
was in those days that mt 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 disguised themselves as swains
and millers and country schoolmasters.
rs shepherd girls,.and milkmaids. Tis
said they all wore ssabets. dainty ones.
20 be sure. but lNeEitable wooden shoes,
with Marie Aut0iRette the first among
them. Such was the story which the
good Marquis de La Fayette brought TO
the eager listeners in his neighboring
forests: and Darazou was there, most
sager, ,listenSr of them all. r
The queen, then.I wears wooden
shoon. M. lie MarquisT
Yes"
And if made her a pair you'd take
= them to her, NJ lie Marquisy =
Surely. if you can make such as shall
he more beautiful than any sweetheart
evera wore and fine enough for5-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.
ut 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
swroughtAa heart encircled with rays. and
wreathed above it these four letters. 1T.
I. 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
bers written on the shoes of every fiancet
in Auvergne.
Oarazou hurried home, and underneath
his tiny portrait of the queen he heavily
traced in black the four mystical char
acters. Gene4tl de La Fayette left for
Paris. carrying to -Trianon. as he hai
promised the sabots of Auvergne No
did he forget to tell their story, for tn,
court was ever ready for a shepherd tale
The queen was greatly pleased. Rea
country sabots from the hands of a rea
sabot maker of the ,mountainsi and SC
quaint and queeri
1.-The heart surrounded with rays, a
they. make the Virgins head, | under
stand but Il. II. L. W. riarquis%'
''Your majesty alone can permit me o
command to declare their meaning.
81 listen. marquis. permit you."
.'TsaiIherai' touta lavida.- II sSr
.sWell2s exclaimed Marie Al,toinette
greatly puzzled. ss.ss ss4-s- -ss--+.
.sPatois of Auvergne Otherwise. j
t'ai1ne raj tonte la vieAIll love thee M
whole life long, and NJ. de La Fayett
laughed. heartily Not so the queen. an,
she said nothing. ss =
.sElIs curious fact is that my simpl
young cobbler adores yon under; th
form Of a small image. yet very like you
majesty
Brave boy. Poor fellowi' murnure
the queen. deeply moved The sabots
NJ lie Marquis. are. | think, a iittl
large: but so much the better for the rs
ward and Marie Antoinette spoke 10y
an the ear of the Princess de Lambeilf
who took the sabots, went out quickl
and soon came back. bringing them we