Ladysmith news-budget. [volume] (Ladysmith, Rusk County, Wis.) 1907-1927, 1910-07-15
The Cobbler

shoulders. So Is he pale, for the mat
ter of that. All of his days are spent
In his basement shop-which you go
down four steps to reach. There are
windows in front, but they have not
been washed for SO long that not
much light comes through them. The
cobbler works by gas light, and he
would need it anyway to heat his
wab. Day in and day out he sits
stopped upon his stool and hammers
and sews and pats and taps at his
mending of shoes and boots.
Sometimes he sings. Not often, as
you are apt to lose time, when you
sing. Once / had talk with him
while he Strengthened a heel on my
footwear. You see, / was pretty poor
myself and had not an extra pair of
heavy shoes.
YAH" said the cobbler, 81 work
Dat is nuddings. Work Is fine.
come here at seven when business
Is goot"
How late at night?" | asked idly.
The cobbler stuck a three cornered
shoe. He thrust in a long little nail
and hit its head with a smart tap or
two with his hammer. There We're
streaks and cloudy spots of dirt on his
labor pale face. | could see that his
arms were thin where his sleeves were
rolled up. When he looked up he
paused In his toll.
How late? Oh, nine-when bust
ness Is goot. Lately it is bad-very
bad"
'You go home earlier?"
"Yah-six, seven" A light glowed
in his eyes. You could see it creeping
in like nothing l can tell, for there is
no other light that is comparable.
One never sees pair of steadier brown
eyes. And he chuckled softly.
DE kids dey like l come home
when it Is six o'clock"
From a great piece of sole leather
he cut another slice with his sharp
and shining knife. His eyes were
upon his work once more.
"De kids too young to know when
business is goot," he said briefly.
Yesterday, l make one dollar and
twenty-five cent. OATS no goot when
you have five to find eatin's."
He hammered away again with mar
velous dexterity Did you ever watch
cobbler at work? Only years and
years of labor bring such skill. 1t is
clip and carve, pat and hammer,
bit of blacking, and 10! your heel is
straight. The cobbler has made you
comfortable, and you have paid him
Is cents, maybe You go your way
and he tolls in his shop.
"Sleepin's, too" he said. "Our rent
1t is nine dollars. There is meat and
potatoes and clothes and"
''Shoes 2"
"Yah Shoes I buy cheaper dem
dan / make. Sixty dollar a month it
cost ALL"
Why should his face grow sad from
the weight of his thoughts? He
smiled, but it was wan smile that
made his dirt more apparent and his
pallor more plain. Not at me, he
looked, but away somewhere, to that
place where every one looks when the
Life page that is open before one is
not quite plain.
Cad" he said. Oats little, one
dollar and twenty-five cent. Yah. It's
little"
Hammer, hammer, tap, tap. clip,
clip. Surely his knife is sharp. The
light is not so good, either. Ten,
twelve, fourteen hours. Of course his
crooked. Hammer, clip, clip. No.
never, does he succeed in getting the
wax and dirt from his hands. You
can tell his trade when he is at church
on Sunday. Clip, clip. Oh, he is
patient creature-the cobbler-but his
patience, is it not the patience of nee
essity?
"Goot Shoes" he said approvingly
Fine leather"
1t was mine he meant. I am poor,
too. The shoes cost seven dollars. No
wonder | could not afford two pairs in
the winter. Seven dollars divided by
one dollar and quarter, and what is
the answer? Oh, you wonderful cob
bler-nothing nothing at ALL Only
differences, social, mental, physical
Don't try to figure it out. You will
never get the exact answer. No one
ever has and maybe no one ever will
Air, food, health, the glory of life!
"How do you manage to liver" l
said at last, out of my bewilderment.
He did not smile. He was deadly
serious. His tones were monoton-
ously even. 1t was tragedy of mat
ter of factness. And should we not
consider with pride our nationalism?
dis is finer country dan de DID,"
he said. I'm Bohemia, my wife could
find no washing to take in"
With his dirty finger he rubbed |
backing on my shoe and polished it !
with brush.
Washing is good pay IN America"
he said "My wife, she helps"
Don't think he is one. He is thou |
sands, only 1t is not at the time he is |
the cobbler. There are other trades, |
and men toll at them.
Taken at His Word