Preble County Democrat. [volume] (Eaton, Ohio) 1857-1859, 1858-01-07
"DieII of gThin sIIoes,s

/ We have seen ii stated in. an epIleIn-s
eralsHewspaper paragraph, that there Is
an Inscription on tombstone in q New
jersey grave yard, which runs thus, 80 49,
-. Died of Thin Shoes" As ~ do
not put implicit confidence in the tfutlpi
of all the paragraphs it is our priyit
| lege to peruse, we arc willing to eoEcede
that this may be so or not be sos IT
makes no matter. ssDied of thin shoes
might be the honest aud yeraeious epi
taphfon thousands of tombstones that
bear a widely different one The beanz
tiful and crowded cemeteries, particalar-,,
Fly. which are to be found In yiciaan. Of
eouf Is "a q can cftfes
of victims to thin shoes, lying IN their
cold unwaking sleep. Our tomn ladie~,
as every body understands are consider
ably more careful about the costliuess
and elegance, than about the sense or
utility of their apparel. We meet them
on the public street, arrayed as sumptu-
ously and 'showily as if they were on ths
! floor of a brilliant ballroom, or at fash
ionable and gay assembly.
One feels an irresistible inclinr ton
to stare at the bedizened creatures as
they sweep rustling by 1t is vulgar
and rude to stare, but how is one to re
strain ones self from having peep a.
the fine sights? But the danty feet of
our dashing bellies are especially sacri-
feed on the altar, whichedlas, is reared
in almost every female heart that beats
in this latitude. The day may be
moist and rainy one. The pavemens
may be covered with water or chcGuered
with puddlcs, or very damp indeed
Vat litt1o
big foot which is cunningly exposed to
the entranced vision of the pedestrians
of the other sex, will be enclosed in i
delicate gaiter, or slipper, the sole of
which is from one sixteenth to one tenth
of an inch in thickness In such ffinlSy
shoes the worse than silly young women
tramp around,
cat all hours Of the day,
And in all kinds of weather.
They go out to spend the evening,
whether at a parlor party or public en-
tertainment, in gossamer pedal attire,
such as there would be some excuse for
wearing if they had to tread on nothing
but dry and soft Brussels carpet, and
would be exposed to no-ftful draughts
of variously tempered air. By-and-by
cold is contracted, which grows heav-
ier and more alarming as it is daliied
with and disrcgurded. Consumption;
with all it's distresses and tcrrors follows,
and there is one more ebbing life. and one
more early grave flied by the victim OF
thin shoes.
There is no fancy sketching about
this. 1t is fact which legion of the
sons Of St. Crispin could attest that
American women and particularly our
young ladies, are constantly in the hab
it of wearing shoes SO light, as to be almost
instantaneously penetrated with water.-
And We verify bolieve that these miser-
ably thin things are, in a great measure,
responsible for the fearful inroads, which
are yearly made by that fell destroyer,
consumption, upon the ranks Of the fem
mime population of our great cities
Why can't our ladies initiate their sem
siblc English sisters, and wear stout,
substantial wholesome shoes, when they
leave the house, even at the risk of new
er hearing the smothered exclamation,
"Heaven ! what foot - nor the COM
mon place compliments CT the ballroom,
which are bcstowsd upon the owners of
screwed and pinched, but "tiny, trip
ping" feet ?-BoSton Jou1nul