Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1842-10-14
UIlIIs.ll((lEl IlpEy7RE(lln SIS
Vommunicati)n.
A CHAPTER ON OLD SHOES.

Hlthl ilOl tlltNt VI ldNl SlllilUtIS UlONlIl, WI
which the gloss yet fingers, shadowy, and
intermittent, like FAINT ray Of sunlight on
the dome of the Cooge, brh real unp,es-
tonable antiquities, which for some 5 or six
years have witlstood the combined assaults |
of sun, dust, and rain have lost all preten-
sions 10 unsocial Formally, aud give the toes
assurance of case and the feet Of holiday;
such shoes are my delight. They present
themselves 10 my minds eye, MKT up with
thousand varying rccolcctions, and not on
ly shadow forth the figures, bat recall the We
~ faces, ofiricnds over whom the waters of
oblivion have long since rolled. This you
will say is strange, but mark how | dcduce
my analogy In that repository Of wit,
learning and sarcasm, the "rale of Tub"
Swift pertincnily remarks, 'lhat in forming
an estimate of an individuals trade or pro-
fcsson one should look to his dress ; the man
himself is nothing, his apparel is the disting-
IL shing characteristic. the outward and visi-
bic sign Of his inward and spiritual grace"
Ii then we look to the dress, of winch the
shoes Of course form the chief feature. it is
logically manifest TIT the appearance Of GER
tain shoes will renew the recollection OF GER
tain individuals, or suppose we drop the plu-
raj and substitute "shoe" for oman" and it
will be equally manifest that a certain shoe is,
b0na ftic. certain man. Now whenever !
see an old shoe, brown, rusty, long quarter
ed, and down at the heel, on SHlt's princi-
pie, imagine that see my fat Canada
friend, Strtham, the living prrsonifcation Of
Sir John Falstall. In like manner whenev-
er | behold large, wide shoe--pertcctly
adapted to the foot for comfort, and well
polished with Day and Martin, | think that
behold mine ancient shop mate, Wilson, a
worthy son of Crspan and most agreeable
companion, who expired of yexation on the
removal Of the depositcs, the necessary con-
sequence of his having been jackson man.
Peace to his ashes he always spoke respect
fully Of the GiRerai. Old shoes are the H.
dlces by which mans peculiar turn Of
mind may he pointed ont. SO tGnaciously
do | bold this opinion, that, in passing down
Church Street, would wager odds, that, in
seven out Of ten cases, would tell a s,ran-
gers character and calling by the mere
shape of his shoe. Who can mistake the
staid, formal gravity Of the orthodox divine,
in the corresponding fitness, and healthy con-
dlton of his easy shoe Who sees not the
necessities Of the poet, Significantly devclo-
ped in his two laggard, shapcIcss old apollo.
gics for shoes Thus too the sable hue Of
the lawyers shoe corresponds most convinc.
incly with the color of his proicssion-
While his dandyiSm and close attention tc
appearances, tell their own tale in tile mcr.
chants high hroled shoe.
No lover of Independence veniurcd vol
unfairly on new shoe. This is an axiom
not TO be overturned. The man who piqur.
himself on the ncwnrss Of such an habiliment
Is, till time hath "mouldercd it into beauty
slave. Wherever he goes, he is harraSscC
by an apprehension of damaging it. Ilrnc,
he loses his SENSE of independence, and be
comes-.a serf. How degrading To sue
comb to ones superior is bad enough bu
to be the martyr of few pieces of leather
to be the lIelot ola tight fit, to be made sub
missive to the dust, the rain, and the snUw -
to be compelled to be at the mercy of al
these vile contingencies, can any thing i
human nature be SO prcpoSlerous. \ ,rul
great mind spurns the reidea ofsuch slave
ry.
Old shoes are the aptest possible symbol
Of socmlity. The very mention Of this lux
ury conjHres up IA thousand images Of eu
joyment, speaks 81 the close of labc
Iiou, day, Of warm Gre--ihn children
bed, the lamp nicely trimmed, The Cat aSler
on the ~ an arm Chair, the wife mcndiu
the stockings, and myself reading tie life
Henry Clay with a social Uncmbarrasscd a
ttude ;wiuh new shoe this last blessing
unauainable. Imprisoned in this detestah
article - oh how unlike the sandals of ii
anclcHts) I'VE are pcrpetualIy annoyed Wi
consciousness of the necessities of our COZ
ditlon. a sudden pinch OF the toes dispr
phiosophc revere, another on the inslo
wilhdraws us from the contemplation of
poet to the recollection Of the shoe MAKE
There is another light in which old sho
may be viewed mean as chronlcers
the past. Agslaus, king Of Sparta, alwa
dated from his last new dress. Following
iustrious precedent, date from my Ia
new shoes, which were first ushercd in
being during the memorable period Of I
Canada rebellion. Do | remember Ii
epoch, from the agitation it called forth, fro
the wisdom and folly it quickened into Iii
AssuredIy not. gained nothing by t
wisdom! lost much by the folly Of that {
citing time. DO thus remember ii IN
but simply from the fac, that tue very shl
in which am now writing were then Nc
The shoes we're Oh my feet when | took
route along the banks Of the St. Johns on
way to the States They we're with
when arrived a. the lines, and looked ha
with feelings not TO be described, on the la
of radicals and tories--of bull frogs and bt
pouts-and gave three hearty cheers tina
was once more enabled TO enter the land
freedom. They were my sole compani
when at night-fal l stroled from mine
filled with emotions of love OF country, a
to contemplate the beauties of nature, ra
blcd along the banks OF the Missskoui, {
saw floating on ITS quiet surface, the v
duck, and through the-openngs of the fl
forest, the glitlering lake, dotted here
there with a passing sail, and bordered
away on the horizon by the dim bounda
of the Green Mountains, when sudden
was admonlshcd to return by the rain, vi
began to fall in torrents; and, as is al"
the case on such occasions, took the WI
by-path which led me far down into a
t;c How in thu of ,xhirn ct M