The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1867-01-12


rhe milliner. These were tho days of
splendid, superb and imposing trains.
From the waist, which was pushed up
as near to the armpits as possible, the
the dress swept in one graceful curve,
and long, full, deep folds, until it drew
its vast length along the ground. Wo-
man, true to her higher nature a. deyel--
oped under the fostering influence OF
wealth, sacrificed her person to her COW
ering; she gave up her feet, her ankles,
her other charms that the male sex adj
mire, to the pleasure of outshining her
fellow-women in adornment. The ex-
istence of trains forbade thought of
the existence of anything beneath them.
Several years ago, our lad:es-for here
we have no lower orders Of the gentler
sex-wore the same dress and submitted
to the same deprivation. Trueto Amer
lean 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 "looped-
up skirts" Fashion effected her change
ingeniously, yet firmly. She first intro
duced 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 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 q pretty foot'
What nor captivating than dear lit
tie boot covering high instep, and
coming down neatly over the toes, with
bewitching tassel dangling at the top
of the close lacing' In nothing is aris-
tocracy so marked as in the pedal ex-
tremity; the thin. nostril, the long fin
gers, the narrow palm, are evidences of
gentle blood, but far less SO than the
round ANGLE, the high instep and the
hollow beneath, through which, as the
proud and high-bred Arabs say, stream
of water should be able to flow while
the possessor is standing. The fiat,
splay foot, OH tho contrary, as surely
tells the want Of pedigree, as its mis-
shapen excrescences, its cOrns and bun
ions drive away affection. 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 small foot as
with an attractive face; he finds in it
thousand expressive movements; its
firm tread speaks of q decided charac-
ter; it's quick step denotes anger; its
elasticity of melton assures him of
livelincss and good humor; its hasty
tread denotes impatience; its subtle
glide signifies cunning; while the
quiet but marked 70 otfall guarantees
him an atftctionate disposition. The
face often deceives him with an allur-
ing smile; it is taught or trained by de-
sign or habit; its openness is guarded
and confined; but the foot speaks its own
language, unrcstraincd and untutored;
and the male sex owes debt of grail
tude to fashion for giving back honest
feet to the future adorers of human ex-
istence.
The Chopped skirt" lasted for time
to mans great satisfaction and improve
ment, and finally, through vaSary OF q
queen goddess (whose object ever APP
pears to see TO what new extravagances
she can carry things), was superseded
by continuance that began to suggest
the possibility of women having some
thing besides dress above their ankles.
So far, q visible foot, with an occasional
glimpse of an ankle, was alone vouch-
safed: but the new arrangement-the
fitting 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 neat
est ankles, and the most graceful forms
of their sex; and if not developed like
the Dutch beauties of our ancestors,
possesses the characteristics of the high
bred horse. filters, however, had but
short day: fashion could allow man
but n momentary glance at the mys-
teries not intended for the gaze, and
blotted out with the long train she had
once loved and abandoned. Skirts,
ankles, feet, and what not have disap-
peared, and woman has once more be-
come head, arms and dress! Three
yards or five yards, we do not know
where to begin measuring-constitute
the proportions of train necessary to
responsibility and to the retention of n
place in society; and henceforth We
suppose we must bow to the law-ex-
cept, perhaps, on the skating pond
that "the Queen of Spain has no feet"
and, with sincere regret, answer the
question propounded at the head of this
article in a decided negative.
Gentlemen! You have heard the rcso-
luton: All in favor Of affirming that
ladies have limbs will please say "Aye."
dead silence.) The contrary 'No."
Universal shout of "nary limb !')
A. GgNoo.p b,,a 81 onJ