The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-01-07


wander through tropical lands" said the
shoemaker; Through plantations where
Dlackamores are cutting sugar cane and
shaking down coffee beans from plum
trees. Yes, you old poplars, it will be a
long time before you viii see me ambling
along again between you In few weeks
m going to be prOmenading beneath
palm trees, knocking down cocoanuts with
my stick, and instead of sparrows and
yellow hammers, parrots and cockatooS
Will be sitting in the bushes and monkeys
and balloons will be kissing their hands
TO me. If lion or tiger should come
down the path TO devour me-one, two,
three, l shall skip of over the mountains
and laugh from there in the beasts faces.
NO certainly, no man ever was as lucky
as l am"
Toward midday our fortunate shoe
maker reached the town, and found work
at once. With his first earnings he bought
himself map, on which were pictured
all the counties of the world, and he also
bought an old book which told of strange
journeys by land and sea. So on holiday
evenings, when the other fellows went off
TO the inn to tipple and dance, Crispin
sat in his room studying like a magis-
trate.
But the ways and manners of the in
dustrlous fellow pleased his master, and
one Sunday afternoon he invited him to
take walk with him. That was a great
honor. The trio walked out past the
town gate, but the third person was Mis-
tress Anna, the masters beautiful daugh-
ter.
The evening of that day Crispin failed
to spend porting over his maps, but he
walked with long steps up and down his
room uptn his sleepy roommate rebuked
the restless wanderer. Then Crispin,
too, crept into his feather bed, but he
could not close his eyes the long night
through.
The next Saturday when the men were
paid off CriSpin did not betal1e himself to
the secondhand dealer who sold old
books, but instead went to a diapers
shop, and on Sunday morning the mas
ter's lovely daughter wore a new blue
silk ribbon to church, and on it stood in
golden letters:
Marble may break an roses decay,
But the light of my true love
VIII ne 'er fade away.
"Crispin, said his roommate. wicked,
jealous sort of fellow ''Crispin, you are
in love. Don't deny it. You are in love
with the masters daughter. But your
labor will be for naught. That blonde fell
low who waits in the shop opposite, he is
ahead of you. She has a great Irritation
with him. Naturally you have never no.
ticed it, you studious old professor"
"Silence!" snarled Crispin, doubling
his fist. silence, or Ill strike you to the
ground !"
Then he went to his room. cts quite
time started off on my Journey" he
said sadly. as he CREASED the seven
league boots. "Adieu my country: adieu
my master, and thou beautiful, false"
Here he began to choke and sob in a way
TO make one pity him. When he had
Gained himself somewhat he packed his
belongings in his knapsack, putting the
map on top and went downstairs TO bid
the master good by. when this is over"
he said to himself, ~ shall go out the
door, pull ON my seven-league boots, and
by evening can easily smoke opium in
the land of the pig-tailed Chinese"
But when evening came he was not sit
ting in the land of the Chinese. but at a
table between his master and lovely Anna.
He was holding her white hand in his
work-worn one, and calling the masters
daughter his beloved bride, and heaven
seemed full of bass viols to the betrothed
couple! e'ss
THEN CAME THE WEDDING.
Naturally, for the present, nothing
came of the plans for that long journey
around the world, but put off is by no
means giving up. The young man was
obliged to make his masterpiece, then
came the wedding, and the year after a
small squaller had appeared on the scene.
Who would now think of travelingl
After a time many care appeared in
the shoemaker's workshop. The number
of little heads grew with every year, and
Crispin was obliged to keep his hands
busy from morning to night. But when
at last he laid off his leather apron he used
to take out his maps or some book on
travels. He took great care of The seven
league boots, and kept the leather flexible
by frequent greasing. When the Oldest
boy should be grown up he would give the
business over TO him and start off on his
long deferred wanderings. Patiencel
The children grew apace, and the eldest
son sat as young master on his fathers
three-legged stool. But now it was neces-
sary to marry off the daughters and settle
them in the world, and again that long
journey must be indefinitely postponed.
Patience, Crspin, patience.
Again a number of years passed by.
Master Crispin was wearing a little black
velvet cap on his bald pate, and Mistress
Anna was beginning to talk of the good
old days The children were settled in
life and held their parents in all honor
They had arranged a bright, sunshiny
little room for them, and there the old
man used to sit most of the day, in
cushioned grandfather chair, reading
his books
One Sunday afternoon when the round
window panes were glistening in the sun,
Crispin rose out of his chair and fetched
the seven-league boots out of his chest.
He had had good afternoon nap, and
felt as bright as in those merry years of
wandering Now at last was the time to
start off on his journey, but because he
feared he would be opposed, he decided to
take himself off quite quietly and to write
his people all about the matter.
When he failed to appear at supper Mis-
tress Anna said, He has probably gone
to sleep over his books" and sent the
youngest grandchild to wake the grand
father.
Suddenly they heard cry Of fear,
and when they fastened to the grand
fathers room they found him sitting quite
dead in his armchair but on the table he
had written in chalk: Il have started
on my long Journey
And what became of the dwarf's giftF
All, if | only knew! L am afraid the
heirs tore those old boots to pieces and
used the leather to mend broken shoes
Perhaps, too. they are still lying in some
corner, waiting for one who will know
how to put their powers TO use.
Pictures by an Armless Painter.
From the St. James Gazette.
A remarkable art exhibition is an