The Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1855-1875, 1867-01-24
3EAaleesjAH

= > ~ W--4>Gs1ttt-s
,T~s.. W. bISTehtClAr Nicely
~A.,; !.:::-..s'} NO. 4S.
Ss Ss.zzssssx Is = :. ha ~ -. Yssk cniass. -
lza hsvo lsdiss Any llW6s7 s0
When SrsAish sssrtasraef the older
time undsxsook - pa5 ~A0 hs ssrposed
would be compllusns - - Queen. by
referring 20 her prsety fsse - ves rs..
proved by this answer: sss he Queen Of
Spain has no feet. I" Awonsn Of gentle
birth, Of wealth or position. was suppos.
ed to consist OF . head, arms and neck,
and below that-nothing but . dress,
This was the law Of polite society; the
lower orders might have body and or
dinary members, but . lady owed the
larger part of her person 70 the miliiner..
These were the days Of splendid, superh
and imposing trains. From the waist.
which was pushed up - near TO the ARM.
pits as possible, the dress swept in one,
graceful curve, and long full. deep
folds; until it drew its yaet lsagth along
the ground. Woman, true to her higher
nature as developed under the fostering
influence of wealth, sacfihced her per-
son to her covering; she gave mp her
feet, her ankles, her other charms that
the male sex admire, 10 the pleasure OF
outshining her fellowwOmen In adorna
ment. The existence Of trains forbade
q thought OF the existence Of any thing
beneath them Several years ago. our
ladies--for here we have no lower or
ders of the gentler sex-Wore the same
S.o.. ,,.>l o,,hrn tod IN Tho nappNA Hon.iya
ton. True to American progressiveness
they carried the rule even further, aud
permitted no legs to men, tables, or even
triangles--the first two being only al
lowed limbs, and the latter sides. This
state of affairs would probably have ex-
listed to the present day, bad not fashion
come to the aid of anatomy; and decreed
.looped-up skirts Fashion effected
her change ingeniously, yet Armly. She
first introduced the balmorAl, 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; then she arranged
strings and cords by which the outer
dress might be raised, just little, and
the beautiful color and exquisite trim
ming below exhibited. Thus was the
work accomplished, and men found out
that women had feet-some Of which
we're pretty and some not. sas
What is prettier than . pretty foot Z?
What more captivating than dear little
boot covering high instsp, and coming
down neatly over the toes, with be
witching tassel dangling at the top OF
the close lacing7 In nothing is aristoc-
racy so marked as in the pedal extremity,
the thin nostril. the long fingers. the mar
row palm, are evidences OF gentle blood,
but far less so than the round ankle, the
high instep and the hallow beneath,
through which, - the proud and high
bred Arab say, o stream of water should
be able to flow while the possessor is
standing. The fat, splay foot. on the
contrary, As surely tells Of want Of pedi-
gree, as it's misshapen excrescences, its
corns and bunions drive away affection.
The horse shows the purity Of his az
traction by clean limbs. neat posture aud
small hoof; and the ssme result il notice.
able, more or less. in all animals. Man
falls in love rs readily with seductive
foot as with an attractive face; he finds
in it thousand expressive movements;
it's firm tread speaks of decided char
acter its quick. step denotes anger; its
elasticity Of motion assures him Of live
illness and good humor its hasty tread
denotes impatieDce; It's subtle glide sig
nifes cunning; while the quiet but mark
ed football guarantees him an affection
ate disposition. The face often deceiyes
with an alluring smile it, openness Is
guarded and confined but the foot
speaks it's own language, unrestr .ined
and untutored. and the male sex yes
debt of gratitude to fashion for giving
back honest feet to the foture nd ,rners
of human existence. sag11a 81 IT, ias
The chopped skirt" lasted for q time
to man 8 great satisfaction and improve
ment, and finally. through vagary Of a
queen goddess whose object ever ap-
pears to see TO what new extravagances
she can carry things), vas superseded
by q continuance that began to suggest
the possibility Of women having some
thing besides dress above their ankles.
So far, visible foot, with an occasional
glimpse Of an ankle, was alone youch-
safed; but the new arraDgement-the
tilter hoop-disclosed matters that raised
the question propounded in this article.
Filters have at least settled one question:
that American women-for we repel all
suggestions OF fictitious improvement
by the surreptitious aid of art-have the
prettiest feet, the neatest ankles, and the
most graceful forms of their seq; and
If not developed like the Dutch beauties
of our ancestors, possess the character
istics of the high-bred horse. Filters,
however, had bat . short dsy fashion
| could allow man but momentary glance
at the mysteries not intended for his
gaze. and blotted them ont With the long
train she had once loved and abandoned.
| Skirts, ankles, feet, and what not have
disappeared, and woman has once more
become head, arms and dress Three
! Yards or Eve vards-we do not know
/ where to begin measuring -constituts
the proportions Of . train necessary to
responsibility and to the retention Of .
place in society; and henceforth we sup