Democratic Northwest and Henry County news. [volume] (Napoleon, O. [Ohio]) 1894-1905, 1894-05-24
THE SHOEMAKER.

In mountain girt Salzburg, noted II
only for being the birthplace Of Mozart
there dwelt once a shoemaker Of the
name of Siebold Veit Notwithstanding
the lowliness of his station, this disciple
of St Crispin burned incense assiduous-
ly before the muses. Like the village
Milton immortalized by Gray, Herr
Veit had been debarred in youth by
"chill penury" from the acquisition of
knowledge, but maturer days brought
him many recompensing opportunity
for q glance at the pages Of wisdom
All was grist that gravitated to our
shoemaker's mental millstones, and the
stores acquired thus promiscuously from
reading and hearsay were never lost or
suffered to molder for want Of express
sion. Indeed his application of what
he CLEANED was frequently so inoppor-
tune as to excite the hearty laughter of
his honest but critical neighbors Yet
he paid little heed to their merriment,
and today was as ready to excuse the
shortness of their boots with "brevity
is the soul of wit" as to assure them
tomorrow that their old shoes were
brought never too late to mend"
Siebold was a bachelor from choice,
but often let parts of the house, aquaint
red tiled, low ridged, many gabled
dwelling at the end of one Of the serpen-
tine streets characteristic Of Salzburg.
At the time we peep into his life we
find him landlord Of Gabriel Stoss, a
student. Herr Teit's proximity to SO
animated a cyclopedia proved such a
stimulant to his love for learning as to
be we'll nigh inebriating The mere
creak of the stair, as the scholar went
to and fro was sufficient to make the
shoemaker's imagination reel in visions
of the feast of reason that the very steps
groaned to support.
Occasionally in the evenings the stu
dent would drop into his hosts cozy
workroom and read him versions Of the
Greek and Roman writer's, and, carried
along by his listeners whole souled at
tention and undisguised rapture, would
not infrequently continue the inspiritine
myths away into the night. At such
times the simple toiler's delight culmi'
mated in nothing short Of ecstasy. Once
when the student had retired with his
little red margined volume Of legends
his admiring auditor actually stole into
the vacated chair to satisfy himself that
an exchange of seats did not entail, 6
priori, transfer Of knowledge, and
hastened to bed, where before long he
lost sight of sordid and hampering real
ity in the blissfulness Of dream that
brought in it's sequence the attachments
of the professor Of ancient languages IL
the very college attended by his lodger.
One summer evening, having finished
his work early, the shoemaker saunteret
out upon his porch to smoke and medi
tate the while on recent narration o.
the students. The story took his fancy
80 much as to incite him to action. Dur
ing Herr Veit's musings the sun set
The retired street grew still and dark
Lights appeared here and there behint
small diamond shaped panes and EN-
phasized the descent of night. Suddenly
knocking theashes from hismeerschaum
the shoemaker entered his domicile, and
acting upon his cogitations, took dow1
his time worn fiddle and drew from it {
few strains-a return to his former mis-
tress, music. Away back in his you'll
he could recall the days when he han
died the bow with no mean skill, bu
for many year he had neglected music
to delve in the more alluring field of let
ters. Now again he applied himself II
his instrument with fervor which
made use Of every spare moment unit
his old art returned so rayishingly tina
tho wandarina uaiahhnrs strayad in Il