The Parents Assistant | Page 9

Edmund went into service at the vicarage;
and his master was the father of Isabella and Caroline. He found his
new way of life very pleasant; for he was well fed, well clothed, and
well treated; and he every day learned more of his business, in which at
first he was rather awkward. He was mindful to do all that Mr. Gilbert
required of him; and he was so obliging to all his fellow-servants that
they could not help liking him. But there was one thing which was at
first rather disagreeable to him: he was obliged to wear shoes and
stockings, and they hurt his feet. Besides this, when he waited at dinner
he made such a noise in walking that his fellow-servants laughed at him.
He told his sister Mary of his distress, and she made for him, after
many trials, a pair of cloth shoes, with soles of platted hemp.* In these
he could walk without making the least noise; and as these shoes could
not be worn out of doors, he was always sure to change them before he
went out; and consequently he had always clean shoes to wear in the
house.
[*The author has seen a pair of shoes, such as here described, made in a
few hours.]
It was soon remarked by the men-servants that he had left off clumping
so heavily, and it was observed by the maids that he never dirtied the
stairs or passages with his shoes. When he was praised for these things,
he said it was his sister Mary who should be thanked, and not he; and
he showed the shoes which she had made for him.
Isabella's maid bespoke a pair immediately, and sent Mary a piece of
pretty calico for the outside. The last-maker made a last for her, and
over this Mary sewed the calico vamps tight. Her brother advised her to
try platted packthread instead of hemp for the soles; and she found that
this looked more neat than the hemp soles, and was likely to last longer.
She platted the packthread together in strands of about half an inch
thick, and these were served firmly together at the bottom of the shoe.
When they were finished they fitted well, and the maid showed them to
her mistress.
Isabella and Caroline were so well pleased with Mary's ingenuity and
kindness to her brother, that they bespoke from her two dozen of these
shoes, and gave her three yards of coloured fustian to make them of,
and galloon for the binding. When the shoes were completed, Isabella

and Caroline disposed of them for her amongst their acquaintance, and
got three shillings a pair for them. The young ladies, as soon as they
had collected the money, walked to the old castle, where they found
everything neat and clean as usual. They had great pleasure in giving to
this industrious girl the reward of her ingenuity, which she received
with some surprise and more gratitude. They advised her to continue
the shoemaking trade, as they found the shoes were liked, and they
knew that they could have a sale for them at the Repository in Dublin.
Mary, encouraged by these kind friends, went on with her little
manufacture with increased activity. Peggy and Anne platted the
packthread, and basted the vamps and linings together ready for her.
Edmund was allowed to come home for an hour every morning,
provided he was back again before eight o'clock. It was summer time,
and he got up early, because he liked to go home to see his sisters, and
he took his share in the manufactory. It was his business to hammer the
soles flat: and as soon as he came home every morning he performed
his task with so much cheerfulness and sang so merrily at his work, that
the hour of his arrival was always an hour of joy to the family.
Mary had presently employment enough upon her hands. Orders came
to her for shoes from many families in the neighbourhood, and she
could not get them finished fast enough. She, however, in the midst of
her hurry, found time to make a very pretty pair, with neat roses, as a
present for her schoolmistress, who, now that she saw her pupil in a
good way of business, consented to receive the amount of her old debt.
Several of the children who went to her school were delighted with the
sight of Mary's present, and went to the little manufactory at Rossmore
Castle, to find out how these shoes were made. Some went from
curiosity, others from idleness; but when they saw how happy the little
shoemakers seemed whilst busy at work, they longed to take some
share in what was going forward. One begged Mary to