The Lebanon express. (Lebanon, Linn County, Or.) 1887-1898, 1893-05-05
THE QUEENS SAB0TS.

General Gilbert Motier, Marquis de
La Fayette, kept the old family chateau,
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 laborcd 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 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 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 II would
have been Raison Reason; but the easy,
careless people Of the province had
rounded its sharp, rough corner and
softened 1t to their own liking. But since
he lived alone and spoke but little the
neighbors thought him dull and stupid
and dubbed him azon-Deraison--
lacking wit. And then, because under
an old Inusket 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 do La Fayette came
from Paris to the castle Of Ghavaniac, 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 disguised themselves as swains
and millers and country schoolmasters,
~ 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 do La Fayette 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, M. 10 Marquisg
yes"
"And If made her pair you'd take
them to her, NJ le Marquisr
"Surely, il You can make such as shall
be more beautiful than any sweetheart
ever wore. and fine enough for our
gentle queen
And Darazou was off. Night and day
be 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. le Marquis.
at is l." be said. "and here are the
wooden shoon."
aYou have made them. to be sure; and
they might well be for your sweetheart,
for they are beautiful; and you may bt
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 heart encireled with rays, and
wreathed above IT these four letters, ST.
T. L. VI" As for the point, since it wa'
for royal foot. the simple cobbler hat
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 fancet
In Auvergne.
Darazou hurried home, and underneath
his tiny portrait Of the queen be heavily
traced in black the four mystical char
acters. General de La FaYette left fol
Paris, carrying to Trianon, as he hat
promised, the sabots Of Auvergne. Mo-
did he forget to tell their story, for thu
court was ever ready for q shepherd tale
The queen was greatly pleased. Rea
country sabots from the hands Of real
sabot maker Of the mountains! and SC
quaint and queer!
"The heart surrounded with rays, a.
they make the Virgins head, ] under
stand; but IT. I. l.. W. marquis"
"Your majesty alone can permit me o.
command me TO declare their meaning.
II listen, marquis Ipermit you"
"T'aimerai touta la vida.
"WellS" exclaimed Marie Antoinette