The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1903-07-18
"A eooTLEss EEEoRT.
African Servant Whose Vanity Stood
a Supreme Test.

IN &
African Servant whose Vanity stood
a Supreme Test.
The first demand Of servant in |
Africa is for new clothing ard boots.
Mr.. Portman in station Studies"
tells Of securing black boy named
Hamis, who Immediately declared chat
he must have new boots, SO his mas
ter went with him to q shop where
boots were obtainable.
He beckoped to me eagerly to en-
ter, and the anxious feat of winning me
inside once accomplished, he few like
a bird of prey at some brilliantly pol
ished brown boots which adorned one
end of the room. Their size was SO
diminutive that only the smallest Of
dandies could have worn them, and
their shape so exquisite that even he
must have gone through long and care"
full training to achieve his purpose.
Such training. l need hardly say,
Hamis had never experienced. He
had, on the contrary, gone unshod all
his life.
But none of these considerations
seemed, in his opinion, to present
any hindrance, and in moment he
was sitting on the ground carefully
trying the sole of the boot by his own
to see If it were really small enough.
Yes, it proved to be just right. The
cloudy outline of his own sole showed
up in voluptuous folds all round the
slender lines of the boot. The heel
just reached his heel, and the toe came
within an inch Of his toe. He was
satisfied; the size was right: he would
wear that boot.
was content to watch him for a
moment or two as he strained and
battled with his new purchase. 1t
was a fresh experience If melan-
choly one. But after moment or
two searched the shop for pair OF
boots that might suit him. Having
chosen the largest could find, in
formed Hamis, through the interpre-
tation of the shopman, that the pair
into which he had forced a few of his
toes would not be his. LET him take
| them off," l continued. Fearful of
|
almost succeeded in getting them on.
Let him try the pair which l have
selected for him."
But I was too late. For at this
Hamis not only managed to dispose
of his feet finally in the boots, but
actually stood up in them without sign
of pain, and indicated that they fitted
him perfectly.
"No," said l, growing impatient,
1.-The boots do not fit perfectly; they
do not fit at all. Take them Off"
But he had no thought of resigning
them so easily. And it was not till
had seized him sharply and pro-
nounced an ultimatum through the
agency of the shopman that the whole
horror Of his position dawned upon
him, and he realized that l really
meant what l said.
Then, before there could be any
: chance of intervening, the whole
: strength of his emotions burst forth
in a sea Of tears, and simultaneously
In such a storm of eloquence as l had
never heard before. l made several
attempts to silence him without any
success, and was finally driven to
order that his boots should be removed
by force.
So we formed ourselves into a sort
, of team, the boy pulling at Hamis's
feet and we at the boys waist; and
at last we managed to twist and wrig
gle the boots from Hamis's feet. They
were blown and swollen indeed, but
! still unburst and salable, although al
. size larger. l appeased the shop
man, urged Hamis into the street, fol
: lowed him myself, and we went home
. bootless, hot and surly.
G