The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1896-02-17
A BABY'S SHOE.
Fort Scott Letter Carriers Start
it Travelling.
Cor Several Years It is Lost
Sight of by All.
TURNS UP IN MAINE
Bearing All Kinds of Quaint,
j Yet Trite Inscriptions.
Nothing Yet to Fit This"
'Mine All Have Two Legs" Etc.

X RosToN, Feb. 17.-Several years ago a
Fort Scott letter carrier tagged a baby's
shoe aud deposited it in a mail to be sent
around the country by the postal clerks.
From ons run" to another il has gone.
John Drake, who started the shoe, re-
tired from the service two years ago. He
-T1as a shoemaker. Since that time the
shoe has not been heard of until Satur-
day, says a local paper:
Twas only a Little shoe. A hRlfworn,
sturdy, copper .oed affair, with a knOtted
lace and run over heel.
It popped out OF mail sack IN one OF
Uncle SANS big cars on its run across
Maine the other night.
1t slid along the polished surface of
the table almost into the hands OF big
fellow in overalls and jumper. VINO
picked it up and seeing at a glance that
Ii bore no name or address, poised 1t
moment to get the range of the mike"
lack in the distant corner.
Something prompted him to take
second look at the waif; perhaps there
might be some clue to its owner or desti-
nation, after all.
But he held the little shoe in his hand,
and as he turned it over and over, the
rough touch grew gentle and soft light
came in the gray eyes
The car. with its busy workers and
elaring lights faded away. and hs saw a
little cham Der in cottage up among the
Berkshire hills. The rumble and roar
softeued to the whisper of the night
wind, the crack of the low rocker and
the murmur of a gentle lullaby. He sees
the dearest, sweetest face on earth bend
low to a curly head, and a hushed whis-
per:
"Bsnny's asleep"
"Aind your catch down therel"
There is wild Gluten for a pouch,
. II
g'eatcher arm swung to a level almost sim
uitaueous with a swish and bang.
The clerk picks up the little shoe
which came so near precipitating upon
him a stuffed club" from headquarters,
and now notices tucked inside a small
note book. The littIe shoe was a travel
er of this variety, and somehow seemed
to have received unusually warm vel
,come wherever il had gone, judging
from the numerous and diverse senti-
ments which the little book contained.
II was set in motion by a letter carrier
connected with the Fort Scott Kans.,
Office.
in the first stages of its journey the
little Wanderer seems TO have fallen with
wellwishing but chiIdless postal clerks,
Tor the Endorsement read:
Nothing yet to fit this"
"Sane here"
a No use for il. Sorry"
Then comes regretful;
SCI wish l had one"
so do Wouldn't kick at twins
It ia almost at the city limits of St.
Louis before it falls in with a daddy who
writes:
81 have three, aud would use it if you
were not so particular about having it
returned, but none of mine are one
legged
Then we have:
81 have two. Send three more same
size"
4 have pair and hope they may live
to wear them out"
Then came some poetry:
''Some shoes have copper tips.
Some babies have ruby lips,
= But babies with one leg are rare,
So please next time send US a pair"
These are but few of the sentiments
between the red covers. Over one hun
dred mail clerks spared moment to ex-
press kindly thought which the mute
little trudger won for itself, and it came
near making big rough fellow miss his
catch at LapdsdoWue