The Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Or.) 1862-1899, 1896-11-27
A PAIR OF SHOES.

Bertha SAT Oh tue uOOE
pair of new shoes; shaking her head,
she said complacently:
"Yes, they look pretty nice, very nice,
but" she added with sigh, 81 would
have liked pair of red ones. Mamma,
when was at the store this morning
with grandma l saw a lovely pair Of
red shoes. I asked her to get them for
me, but she said she thought you did
not care for coIored shoes; now don't
you?"
why, I don't know, my DEAR an
swered Mrs. Bartlett, laughing at
something that had come to her mind
with Bertha's question. 81 guess
grandma was thinking of time when
did like colored Shoes"
''Well, ! think she was too, for she
laughed, and told me to ask you if you
liked them. guess it is one of grand
mas Jokes. Do tell me what it is,
mamma. Did it happen when you
were little girl?"
After waiting a moment, her mother
smilingly piled: eyes, it was some
thing when 1 was a little girl that
made grandma laugh, but we didn't
laugh at the time it happened, you
may see. Get your work, and 1 will
tell you.
''The shoes that grandma and 1
were thinking of were purple ones,
brilliant purple, with little fiat heels,
laced up to the front and reaching just
above the ankles"
"Oh dear, how funny they must have
been," laughed Bertha
Eyes, as. 1 look at them now, they
must have been queer little shoes, but
ut the time they were bought they were
just as beautiful in my eyes as the red
ones which grandma refused to buy for
you this morning. When I was little
girl l lived in a small town in Ohio
where my father was the physician.
He had not grown rich, for 1t was an
exceedingly healthy place. No one was
very rich, no one was very poor. 1 had
played all my life with little girls and
boys brought up just as 1 was, caring
more for q good time than for fine
clothes.
81 had playhouse built by young
uncle, but the furnishings were not
such as children's playhouses have in
these days. My dishes were broken
bits of china and glass, and among
them were some that were so fine in
my childish eyes that they were only
used upon state occasions. Well, as l
said. l played and was very happy
with my little friends, never caring for
anything different from what we had
But one day something new appeared
o,,ti Ia
friend, had a cousin come to visit her
from New York. She astonished us all
by her clothes; never had we seen any
thing so gorgeous in all our small lives,
such dainty dresses and silk
aprons with tiny pockets and bows,
such beautiful stockings and shoes.
Colored shoes, red and yellow and
brown; for very common wear she had
black ones. These different articles of
clothing pleased the different fancies
of the children. Hattie told me in con-
idence she meant to coax her mother
to give her a silk apron with pockets
for her next Christmas present.
But nothing pleased me as did the
shoes. Every night when I went to bed
my last thought was Of those colored
shoes. and resolved to have some red
ones myself when / was rich 1t was
the fourteenth of June, just two days
before my birthday, that my mother
called me into the kitchen where she
was making pies, and said:
g Lizzie. you had better go down to
Mr.. Stout's. and get pair of shoes
These are too badly worn for Sunday.
Intended to go myself. but 1 shall not
have time; you have been alone before,
and know what to do. Get the shoes a
size larger and like those you have on.
They are pretty heavy for summer, but
they wear well,' she added, more to her.
self than to me.
Taking from its peg my little pink
sunbonnet. | started down the path to-
ward that part of the village where the
few stores stood. 1t was warm day
and / walked slowly along till came
to the little footbridge across a tiny
stream. This was a resting place |
we children invariably stopped. Here
the branches of a big willow tree over
hung the little brook, making it q !
pleasant, shady place. Sitting on the |
bridge with my feet dangling over the |
side, my glance fell upon the shoes l !
wore. Coarse and ugly. but substan-
tial shoes they were; bought for SER
vice. not for looks. Heretofore the |
prospect of a pair Of new shoes had /
been quite enough to make me happy,
but to-day the spirit Of envy had taken /