Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1915-02-26
THE MAGIC SHOES

|
| One sister was very bad, for she took
all the money the father and mother
| left to support the little girls and gave
| the other sister very little. She
would give her bread and cheese and
cup of goat milk in the morning and
tell her that was all she could have
| that day. But the other sister was
very good and did not complaint she
would go into the fields and gather
| berries when she was very hungry.
One day little old lady knocked at
| the door of their home, and the bad
sister opened the door. "Will you
please give me a cup of water, my
| dear?" said the little old lady.
"No, win not the bad sister re-
piled. go away; we do not want any
oeggars here" And she closed the
ioor on the old lady.
But the good sister heard her, and
an to the door. 81 will get you wa
err" she said. "Sit down under this
rec till l get some fresh from the
we'll" And she led her to seat.
"You should not speak so unkindly
to old people," she told her sister.
''You will be old some day YOURSELF
THAT time is long way off," re-
piled the bad sister, tossing her head.
After the little old lady had drunk
the water, the good sister brought her
some cheese and bread and the milk
she had saved from her breakfast.
This is all l can give you," she told
her, "but you are very welcome to it"
The little old lady thanked her and
ate some of the food. But wheE she
had finished there seemed to be just
as much left as the good sister had
brought to her. Then the good sister
saw that the little old lady's shoes
were old and worn on the soles, so
she went into the house and found a
pair that had belonged to her mother,
and put them on the old lady's feet.
When the bad sister saw what she
had done, she was very angry and
said:
What foolish girl you are. Those
shoes could have been sold for money"
But the good sister did not notice her,
and babe the little old lady wear the
shoes. The old shoes she threw into
the road, but the old lady told her to
get them and keep them, and If ever
she should be in trouble to put them
on. To please her the good sister
picked them up The little old lady
: thanked her again for her kindness,
and told her they should meet again.
After while the bad sister married
man who was as selfish and greedy
as herself, and they treated the good
sister very badly One night they
told her she could not live with them
any longer. The poor girl went to her
room to gather her few belongings
9 and in the back of the closet she found
| the little old lady's cast-off shoes. Then
she remembered what she had told
, her, and feeling that she was in trou
!. BILE now, she slipped the shoes on. TIC
her surprise they just fitted her. and
now there were no holes in the soles
She walked along the road with hel
g Ing where she should go, when she
noticed she was in a very beautiful
. park A little fawn ran up to her, and
she gave him piece of bread, which
she had in her pocket. He ran alone
beside her, and soon they were II
9 front of very handsome mansion
a Then the good sister noticed that she
was not touching the ground, that she
4 seemed to glide on the air. She glidet
or flew up the steps of the big house
and as the door opened beautiful lit
tie girl appeared and took her by thu
!, hand Come" she said, my grand
mother expects you"
The good sister was very much sur
- prised, but she did as the little CIR
said, and soon she was in Brilliant!
!, lighted room, where table was spread
with all kinds of dainty things to eat
and there at the head of the table sa
the little old lady to whom she hat
been kind. But how differently sh
II was dressed! sHer hair hung in littl
9 white curls beneath dainty lace car
y and her gown was of heavy black silk
and upon her hands were beautiful
Ii jewels.
$50 they turned you out?" asked tn
old lady. "Well, the shoes brough
you to me just as intended, and nov
u you never will be treated unkindl
" again, for you are to live here with m
;. granddaughter and me-"
Then she told the little girl to TAX
her to her room, and there the goo
sister found nice soft bed, beautiful
furniture, and everything a girl coul
u wish for. In the closets were Lowell
dresses, and there were shoes an
stockings and hats. And she lived wit
v the little old lady and her grand
daughter ever after.
One day when she was riding in he
carriage. drawn by four beautift
~ white horses, she suddenly came upo
III her sister and her husband. The
were sitting by the road, and the si'
81 ter was crying. The good sister ha
her coachman stop. What are yo
III c,.,,ix,, about ponr uoun a n 9D ahp ackat