Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1902-12-24
0he Cobbler 81 Walton.
"a Christmas Story.
@By J. l.. EIarbour. -

was burned to the ground and the
cobbler said:
"I'm not going to spend lot OF
money for something really kin git
along without, when a poor widder
and four little children, and nice
children, too, are without house or
home, or money to git one with.
Mary Denny and her children need
a home and food and fuel to last
them until spring, good deal more
than | need wooden legs;" and the
cobbler's money went for the sup
port of the widow and the father
less in their time of bitter need.
For the fifth time had Darius
sawed up" the required sum for the
leg that would have been such a
help to him.
"And this time l really must git
it," he said to himself. "I sha'n't
say thing to any one about it,
but I'll just slip off to the city and
git me that leg for Christmas
gift, and Pll 'stonish the natives by
coming out with it at the Christ
mas tree for the Sunday school at
the church Christmas eve-that's
just what I'll do. It's gittin'
harder an harder each year now
to hobble about with crutch an a
cane, an if I don't git that leg now,
I'll soon be gettin' too old to git it
and walk easy with it. A wooden
leg amt vesy 'propriate Christ
mas gift, an it don't look just right
to be maxim myself a Christmas
gift, but I'd ruther have that leg
than anything else that. could be
bought for me, an I'll enjoy it a
sight even if / do buy it myself.
| got most enough saved up now
to git it, an l can save the rest if
| work a good deal nights, an
don't have too many shoes to cob.
BILE for nothing"
The good old cobbler never charged
the very poor anything for cobbling
their shoes, and some days he spent
nearly the entire day in repairing the
worn and ragged shoes of poor child
rem. Sometimes, when the children
were fatherless, Darius would send
the poor little shoes home with dime
or a quarter tucked away in the toe,
and once the Widow Denny, in a
time OF sickness and cruel want,
found a five-dollar bill In her little
Hetty's shoe that Darius had re-
paired, and she felt sure the old cob.
bier could explain the mystery of the
barrel of flour she found ON her door
step one winter morning when there
was no -four or no bread in her home.
1t was the week before Christmas
that little Lucy Dryden came home
in reflective mood after happy
hour spent in the shop of the cobbler,
who had given her bit of soft,
bright leather with which she in.
tended making penwiper for one of
her fathers Christmas gifts.
"Mamma," said Lucy, as soon as
she had put away her hood and
cloak, chow much money have l got
saved up for Christmas ?"
81 think that you have about forty
cents, dear" :
81 s'pose | couldn't buy real nice,
good wooden leg with that ?"
"Well, hardly" replied Mrs. Dry
den with little laugh. "What in
the world do you want with a
wooden legP"
81 want to give it to old Uncle
Darius for Christmas gift. He
wants one just awfully, and / want
to give him one. I'd like to put
it on the Sunday school Christmas
tree"
Mrs. Dryden laughed again, and
said
"That would be about the queerest
present ever seen on Christmas
tree"
"But it would make Uncle Darius
happy-happier than anything else
and we want to make folks happy
at Christmas time, don't we2 1
asked him what he would like best
in all the world for Christmas
gift, and he laughed and said that
he would rather have a wooden leg
than anything else. Couldn't we get
up s'cription like they did when
they got the minister china tea
set, and get the leg in that way ?
Uncle Darius needs IL, and the folks
ought to give it TO him, good as
he is."
81 do not know but you are right,
my DEAR" said Mrs. Dryden soberly.
cit would be kind and good thing