Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1867-01-28
HAVE LADIES ANY LIMBS =!

Wnen spanish cOurleT Vi lnC Oluel
times undertook to pay what he sup.
posed would be compliment to his
Queen, by referring to her pretty feet,
he was reproved by this answer: 1.-The
Queen of Spain has no feet. =" A woman
Of gentle birth, of wealth or position,
was supposed to consist of head, arms
and neck, and below that-nothing but a
dress. This was the law of polite society;
the lower orders might have body and
ordinary members, but lady owed the
larger part of her person 10 the milliner.
These were the days of splendid, superb
and imposing trains. From the waist,
which was pushed up as near to the arm
pits as possible, the dress swept in one
graceful curve, and long, full, deep folds,
until it drew its vast length along the
ground. Woman, true to her higher ma.
ture as developed under the fostering in
auence of wealth, sacrificed her person
to her covering, she gave up her feet, her
ankles, her other charms that the male
sex admire, to the pleasure of outshin-
ing her fellow-women in adornment.
The existence of trains forbade thought
of the existence of anything beneath
them. Several years ago, our ladies'
for we have no orders of the gentle sex
wore the same dress and submitted to
the same privation. True to American
progressiveness, they carried the rule
even further, and permitted no legs to
men, tables or even triangles-the first
two being only allowed limbs, and the
latter sides. This state of affairs would
probably have existed to the present
day had not fashion come to the aid of
anatomy and decreed hooped skirts" r"
Fashion effected her change ingeniously,
vet firmly. She first introduced the bal
moral, with its brilliant red cloth, the
delight of the feminine heart; then she
ornamented it till the feminine heart
was crazy to show it to the world I;
then she arranged strings and cords by
which the outer dress might be raised,
lust a little, and the beautiful color and
exquisite trimming below exhibited.
Thus was the work accomplished, and
men found out that women had feet,
some of which were pretty and some not
What is prettier than a pretty foot
What more captivating than dear little
boot covering high instep, and coming
down neatly over the toes, with be-
witching tassel dangling at the top Of
the close lacing? la nothing is arlS-
tocracy so marked as in the pedal ex-
tremity; the thin nostril, the long
fingers, the narrow palm, are evidences
of gentle blood, but far less so than the
round ankle, the high instep and the
hollow beneath, through which as the
hiQh. bred Arab says, stream OF water
should be able to flow while the posses
sor ia standing. The fiat, splay foot, on
the contrary, as surely tells Of want OF
pedipree as its misshapen excrescences,
It's oorns and buuions drive away sffec-
ton. The horse shows the purity of his
extraction by clean limbs, neat posture
and small hoof; and the same result is
noticeable, more or less, in all animals.
Man falls in love as readily with a
seductive foot as With an attractive facei
he finds it in q thousand expressive
movements; its firm tread speaks OF a
decided character; its quick step de-
notes anger; its elasticity of motion
assures him of liveliness and good humoE
its hasky tread denotes impatiencei It's
subtle glide signifies cunning; while the
quiet but marked football guarantees him
an affectionate disposition. The face
often deceives with an alluring smile
IL is taught or trained by design or habit
lis oneness is guarded and confined
| hut the foot speaks its own language
unrestrained and untutored and the
male sex owe debt Of gratitude tc
fashion for giving back honest feet TO the
future adorners of human existence.
The "looped skirt lasted for a time
TO man great satisfaction and improve
ment. and finally, through a vagary Of O
queen goddess Whose object appears to
he TO sec TO what new extraVagancies
she can carry things), was superseded by
a contrivance that began 10 suggest the
possibility Of women having something
| besides dress above their ankles. SO tar,
A visible foot, with an occasional glimpse
of an ankle, was alone vOuchsaied but
the new arrangement-the fitting hoop
disclosed matters that raised the ques
ton propounded in this article. Filters
have at least settled one question that
American women-for we repel all slg
ces,ions of fictitious Improvement by
the surreptitious aid OF art-have The
nretiiest feet. the neatest ankles and the
most graceful forms Of their sex; and I
not developed like Dutch beauties Of oul
ancestors, possess the characteristics o.
The high bred horse. Filters, however
had but a short day; fashion could allow
man but a momeniary glance at the mys
teries not intended for his gaze, anC
blotted them out with the long train she
had once loved aud abandoned skirts