Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1858-03-25
M(istellaneous Reabing
BOOTS.

zette with an essay on boots, from which we
make some extracts:
1t would be great folly in me to pretend
that l am acquainted with all varieties of
boots, for they are as infinite and various as
men. There is manner of boot, Ibelieve,
as peculiar to every people, as their manner
of speech or hand writing. Thus, there are
nationalities of men and of boots; and there
are individualities of men and of boots
The German boot, quaint mixture Of
solidity, profoundly and characterization,
is as unlike the boot of the gallant, coward
ly, virtuous, vicious, faithful, false, Irish
men, of whom love is said to be the soul,
as those two peoples are unlike. The
Frenchman's boot
"Long, narrow, light-the Gallo boot of love-
A kind of cross between the boot and glove"
Is only so when worn by Frenchman, as
their language is never French except when
spoken by themselves. The English boot
sympathises in all the prejudices of les
wearer, and announces him everywhere, in a
stiay, naughty, bullying fashion; while the
American boot is full of vanity, pretence,
pluck, dash, and humbug as the American
himself.
AS to boot-individuality, you have but to
60 upon the street, to remark it on every
man you meet. There is not any need that
you should look further up than mans
foot to see whether he is proud, insolent,
vain, cruel, generous, kind, rufianly or
gentle TennysoD, whom you quote to
WEAKNESS, Octavius Augustus, understood
very well that Maud's brother could never
have gorgonized her lover with a stony
British stare, had be not been at the same
time,
"Leisurely tapping glossy boot"
which must have contemptuously inflicted
the lovers, slovenly misanthropic Yelling
tons. If you are weak, undetermined
vascillating man, be sure your boot will be-
tray you; for to-day it will be sharply
enough, and tomorrow run down at the heel,
with tendency to lop over, when set out
side your door at night. If on the contrary
you are strong, resolute man, your boots
will be miracles of selfrespect, uprightness
and brilliancy.
The politicians's boot is observable for a
family audible, insinuating and conciliatory
screak, which it has learnt, by walking into
Office. Nothing can be more conplaisant
than its lustre, which seems to be borrowed
from the boots of everybody else, and is yet
decidedly peculiar; and it is boot capable
of assuming many different phrases of charac-
ter, without ever ceasiDg to be shrewd,
careful and roticent Sly boots! yet with
the failities common to boots and men; be-
lieving themselves inscrutable yet exhibit
ing their weakness to every philosophic eye.
We behold in them too plainly the man who
has scrupled at noting that would advance
him; the shufliug foe, the false friend, the
dangerous ally. Withal they are boots that
battle verbal description, and perhaps they
could no more be painted than ga dying
groan "
The editors boots! what stories of unre-
Quilted labor, thankless striving, wasted
health, are written in every seam and
wrinkle! They are never bright, like the
boots of other men, even on Sunday; and
they have quick, nervous, eagerlook, that
betrays their wearer's anxiety to make an ar
ticle or an item out of everything they bring
him upon. I cannot regard such boots
without emotions of the most painful kind; !;
for to me the mute leather is eloquent of an
insane devotion to calling that wears out
soul and bod makes robust the purse;
of long nights of scribbling and scissoring;
of wanderings among uncouth people and
strange places; Of singular sacrifice of self
for the sole satisfaction of being held an
swerable for unanswerable articles.
As hs1 said before, boots are as infinite
in their variety as men; and it were as vain
to attempt to classify them. Indeed, there
is one boot, (never on the right leg,) which
might, of itself, form the text of sermon.
It is often seen on the backs Of seats in the
pitof the theatre, where it disputes popular
applause with the darling actress of the
hour; it is frequently heard to tap snatches
of tune on the door-steps of saloons, and to
perform extempore and fragmentary shufaes
within saloons. 1t is shabby, dashing
boot, patched and run down, yet with an IT..
resistible expression of good fellowship
about it; and, indeed, it belongs to man
who is known as good-hearted telzoV a.
mong his acquaintances-a weak, kind, we'll
natured creature, hurting no one but him
self; honest when be may be, and always
generous and partly drunk. Such boot
wore Dick Swiveller, and such men will al
ways be known by such boots.
Then there is calm, negative, methodi-
cal boot, as unwordly as it is coldly-con-
ceited and self-conscious, small, but not
sharply, thin, but not flexible, which isonly
to be found on certain species Of clergy
men-a man of whom you feel, when you
see him, that be is only ohaste because stone,
only gentle because afraid.
'With lips depressed, as be were meek,
'' Himself unto himself he sold;
Upon himself himself did feed
Quiet, dispationate. and cold"
I should weary you, were to animadvert