The origin of this nursery tale is sufficiently curious. About the year 1730, a French actor of equal talent and wealth, named Thevenard, in passing through the streets of Paris, observed upon a cobbler's stall, the shoe of a female, which struck him by the remarkable smallness of its size. After admiring it for some time, he returned to his house; but his thoughts reverted to the shoe with such intensity, that he reappeared at the stall the next day; but the cobbler could give him no other clue to the owner, than that it had been left in his absence, for the purpose of being repaired. Day after day did Thevenard return to his post to watch the re-integration of the slipper, which proceeded slowly; nor did the proprietor appear to claim it. Although he had completed the sixtieth year of his age, so extravagant became his passion for the unknown fair one, that he became (were it possible for a Frenchman of that day to be so) melancholy and miserable. His pain was, however, somewhat appeased by the avatar of the little foot itself, appertaining to a pretty and youthful girl in the very humblest class of life. All distinctions were levelled at once by love: the actor sought the parents of the female, procured their consent to the match, and actually made her his wife.

DIVINE WORSHIP

When Archbishop Fenelon was Almoner to Louis XIV. his majesty was astonished one Sunday to find, instead of the usual crowded congregation, only himself and his attendants, the priest, and the other officers of the chapel. "What is the meaning of this?" said the king; the prelate answered, "I caused it to be given out, that your majesty did not attend chapel to-day, in order that you might see, who came here to worship God, and who to flatter the king."

RUSTIC WIT

A poor man, having disposed of the letters of his name, according to his own fancy, upon his tax-cart, was summoned for the offence, and for turning the act of parliament into ridicule, by having the following letters on his tax-cart:—

A MOST

ODD ACT

ON A TAX

CART.

The poor fellow observed he was no scholar, but his name was Amos Todd, he lived at Acton, and he understood he was obliged to paint the letters, "A Tax-Cart."

PROMISES

A young fellow of the Surface school was one day heard to boast that from his continually breaking his promises made to his creditors, they must imagine him to have been brought up in a court:—"Yes," replied a byestander, "the Insolvent's Court."

PHILO

1

It was reckoned an extraordinary luxury for Thomas à Becket to have his parlour strewed every day with clean rushes.

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2

So much for the "heinous crime of self-painting;" as Lord Chesterfield says; in speaking of which, "It is even whispered about the town, (he observes) of that excellent artist, Mr. Liobard, that he lately refused a fine woman to draw her picture, alleging that he never copied any body's works but his own and God Almighty's!"

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3

It was a dispute between a dustman and a sifter, as to which had the most rightful claim to a five-pound note, found in the ashes; and certainly nothing could be more impartially decided; for as their claims, or rather their non-claims, turned out to be equal—that is, in point of law—it was retained by the presiding magistrate in trust. In the course of the inquiry, it appeared that the sifter had realized sufficient property to enable her to be proprietress of three houses.

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The Mirror of Literature, Amusement, and Instruction. Volume 10, No. 287, December 15, 1827

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Private Anecdotes of Foreign Courts

THE GATHERER

STORY OF CINDERELLA

DIVINE WORSHIP

RUSTIC WIT

PROMISES

PHILO

1

2

3

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