The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1907-12-01
OEE WOMAN COBOLER MlOWE
MAKES SHOES FOR Old CUSTOM,
ERS on rHE WEST SIDE.

~ ON THE VEST SIDE.
Romance az a Greenwich VIlMSe Basement
-Madam'S shoes M HeR CuntSmera
"A Coed business for women 90 m.
rago In, n Enthusiastically IN gass.
In tho old Greenwich village ID 60 be
found New York's one woman oObbler. She
II q oobblsr Of the old school. for abe uses
only the old fashioned, reliable tooAs OF aetY
years ago. when shoes were made 20 last 4
couple Of years instead OF as many wOekn,
and the leather that pnMses under hor han6e
"a have certain qualities or she win have
none Of IL. To her patrons and neighbors
she ID known as Madam
ut wal than twenty-five ysars ago
now hat she came here aaid q neiGhbor,
8 b was q handsome woman. then; soma
said she had been beautiful. she took tba1
basement room just where you see her 10
day. and she has worked there ever since.
Her granddaughter was q littAe child: she has
grown older. but she has grown no larger.
When you SEQ Der you will understand. Tho
street has changed. old n~eighbons have
moved away and Others come In their places.
but Madam remains always the same. She
10 happy. very happy"
-Happy?" Madam looked up from her
work. and smiled at her visitor. Il grow
happier each day OF my life. Because Of
my work. IL is that. my work, and
Here the old woman pulled aside the curtain
at h sid OF her chair and motionsd to her
visitor to look. There, busy about q littls
window garden in the back room Of the
basement. was the figure Of a tiny oreaturs.
Q diminutive woman hardly as tail IA q child
Of three years.
1T 10 her birthday. She In 20 years old
to-day. and I have given her a new pot Of
aowers.' Madam said as shs let the curtain
fall back into place. NO, she does not
know. she remembers nothing except Ens
and her flowers. IL was In New Orleans.
was q cook in a restaurant.
1T was then I learned to make shoes.
can stay Vat home. l said. and care for tho
child. She vas two weeks old. 80 I gave up
my cooks place and began 70 work with an
old friend. Il was just the same. My hus-
band l never saw until thu night I was paid.
Then he was always there to get my wages.
Il was the Law.
when time went by and che doctors told
me that the child would not grow I became
more determined. I took the child and
came here. here to the city where they
said y womRn's wag were her own.
The neighborhood has changed, yes.
but not my customers. They are always
the same. Though their feet have grown
older and / no longer make clippers FOR theGn
60 dance, they send their children and their
grandchildren. My slippers are so soft
that 2 pair can go IN u Pocket: This
my best friend I call her, for she ~ me
my frst order in New York. / have moi
seen her in years; she can only drive q few
blocks In her carriage and now lives away
uptown. but every season l got her order
for two pairs OF shoes and q pair OF clippers
h will wear DDthing but my make.
1t is q good business for women-cob-
bling. l make no mons shoes. only for
ladies and children. l see that my leather
make the fashionable shapes. They can
be bought In the shops. It 10 for old ladies'
and children and for the young ladies,
daughters and g-randdaughters Of my old
customers who do not wish their feet
spoiled by high heels. and pointed toes.
While the heels Of my shoes are not too low
they do not run under tho inatep and %
throw the weight Of the body on the wrong
part Of the foot. Neither are the toes OK
my shoes .Ss, , quar- ,G NOR I @nSe ec5 a .b Sr sSss
Il have offers of new customers. iins
customers who could pay me the best prices,
but I will not take them. I am too old co
make new lasts. The shape OF feet rune
In families. l am using the Same lasts for
young ladies now that thirty years ago I
used for their grandm0thers, A young
girl. the granddaughter OF an old patron, Il
was only last week / had her nurse bring her
to me. gave her a good talking 90, point
ing out to her she would have q buniOn ON
her left foot II she persisted in wearing
her shoes 90 lightly laced. Her grand
mother had the same habit and the same
shaped feet. Her mother took after her
father. IL 10 her grandmother's feet this
child has TO guard against. They do not
always heed my warning; II they did
should mot now be making so many old
peoples shoes for such young feet"