Year: 1879

FRENCH STORY ABOUT THE ORIGIN OF A IA


voBITE FABY TALE.


The dismal November day was drawing to
close, when through the streets of Paris,
illpavod, ill-drained, ill-built Paris, vastly
different in the fall Of 73O from the marvel
lous city that we now behold the actor Theve-
nard hurried from the theatre to his solitary
home Evidently not in the best of humors,
he twitched his cloak over his shoulders as he
tramped through the muddy by-ways and
growled savagey mt n deformed beggnr who
ventured to approach him for aims. The
street was nearly deserted when he passed a
cobbler's shop, whose owner might be seen
within, not busy at his trade. but deeply alb
sorbed in "A little volume which he held close
to the dirty window to enable him TO catch
what afternoon sunlight could struggle
through its dingy surface


Before this shop Thevenard suddenly stop
ped short, as though attracted by something
he saw either within or ON the shabby stall
outside, where were displayed a choice selec-
ton of old boots and shoes, some smartly
renovated, some in the last stages of decay
and hardly seeming worth the trouble likely
to be expended on them What could the
veteran actor find to interest him in such
collection? Something, undoubtedly for he
fingered second or two, and then. in
shame faced manner, drew nearer the stall
and picked up slipper lying on it, Such a
slipper! Half worn it is true, and none of
the finest in point of material but what of
that Titana might have been proud to
wear it she stepped lightly over the un-
bending cowslips There was nothing here
of the stupid shapelessness of the new shoe
but cunning moulding of the plant leather
into the form of the dainty foot it had COW
cred, and the pert way in which the little toe
tnrpa1 Glipbtlv inward p,aIa II lppl if
ready on its own account to skip down from
the stall and dance its way to brighter quar-
ters.


Ihevenard held this marvellous slipper in
his hand for minute, then turned to the
door of the shop and half opened it, stopped
laughed softly at his own folly, and finally
stepping back, replaced it on the stall with
its rough companions where it Immediately
looked smaller and prettier than ever. The
beggar, who had drawn nearer in the mean
time, profted by the milder expression on
the strangers face to again beg an aims, and
was rewarded for his pertinacity by the gift
of a small piece of silver which the actor be
slowed in bewildered manner, as if hardly
conscious of what he was doing. Then again
drawing his cloak around him he pursued his
way home. while the beggar, a man of dis
cernment in his own line, chuckled over his
shrewdness, as he hobbled TO the nearest
wine shop with his prize. All that night
Thcvenard was haunted by tiny slipper that
| danced wildly through his dreams, and the
next morning found him again by the cob
bler's stall, wondering dryly if there ever
was such another old fool as himself but
fully resolved to make an effort to trace up
the happy possessOr of so very small foot.
The cobbler within seemed as usual wrapped
in the pursuit of his studies to the detriment
of his trude, which was, perhaps, the reason
why the vast collection of old shoes outside
W such n long time in their progress to re-
NJ W. d usefulness. He had half closed the
book as Thevenard entered, but still keeping
one ye fixed on the cherished pages, waited
for the customers business. The actor, hold
ing the little shoe in his hand, and blushing
like II school girl, stammered forth his inqui-
~ ns to who might have left it there. The
cobller heard him out. glanced for an instant
at the slipper, uttered the monosyllable re-
ply, don't know" and evidently consider
ing the interview at an end, returned in COM
fort to his book.


But Fhevenard, having once entered on his
search, was not to be SO easily batfied. After
waiting for a minute, and receiving no fur
ther attention, he civilly asked when it was
likely to be called for producing some silver
from his pocket, as he spoke, in the vain
hope of lOosening the bridesmaids tongue.
But the Delphic oracle was not more tersely
unsatisfactory than this dingy student, who,
without gancing up from his volume, an
swered with slow deliberation, II suppose
when it's mended, " and once more resumed
his occupation.


Theyenurd, never renowned for his pa
tirnor, WAS rapidly losing the little he had, at
the mans obstinate stupidity, and burst out
angrily Cant you tell me when that will be,
you seuseless blockhead?" ?"


The cobbler, wholly unmoved, and dryly
polite rs ever, lifted his eyes once more from
the book before him, and answered this time
in two distinct sentences, with slight pause
after the first, to give due expression to the
second, II can't. Good morning." And
thus civily limiting that he considered the
visit ended, he picked up his volume, and ut
terry ignored the now eXasperated actor, who
flung himself out of the shop, muttering a
great deal, not altogether complimentary ell
ther to the cobbler or himself


All that morning Thevenard was unusually
prtulmnt at the theatre, falling foul now with
the manager, now with a wretched supernum-
erary, and now with the charming Mile. Elise
herself, who astOnished at his audacity,
shrugged her pretty shoulders and opined
that Monsieur ThevenRrd was growing rath-
er old and crusty. Were there no younger
actors to be had in this far famed city of Par
is?" A suggestion hardly to be calculated
10 sootho the feelings of a man just tifty-one,
and we'll preserved into the bargain. Even
his PLAYING seemed TO have lost its crispness
and his fellow actors watched with astonish-
ment his lstless abstracted air, the evident
difficulty with which he reused himself to his
task and the apparent relief with which he
hastened from the place as soon as the re-
hearsal was at an end,


One thought alone possessed him. What
if the slipper should be gone-if the fair own
er should have taken it away, and all hope of
tracing her be at an end! He turned pale at
the very fancy. and auickened his step until