The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1868-09-17
The Moral Erect of Boots.

writer in Cassel's Magazine gossips about
s'Bad Boots:"
The influence of boots upon the mind is very
different from that of any other garment.
man may have shocking bad hat, but he for
gets it; his coat may be threadbare, but his
mind is not directed towards it; but we defy
man to stand upright in pair OF buchers
with worn down heels, and We believe that 1t ls
just as difficult to feel morally upright IN them
4 sense of meanness possesses him, he feels
that everybody is noticing them. He cannot
look people straight in the face and feel upon
the SQUARE with them. He feels the weakness
of his foundation, and he mistrusts the charac-
ter Of the superstructure that they support,
however imposing in other respects. "A man
shabby in the boots sometimes hatters himself
that he carries off attention from them by the
use of splendid necktle; but this is delusion
and snare The boots are the key OF the po-
sitiou, and we feel sure that no man ought to
undertake any serious matter unless he stands
up in good sound pair of boots.
A celebrated psychologist has said that II
human actions could be searched into, it would
be found that the intestines of ono man often
influence the destinies of another. Doubtless
this is o p ofound remark, but it applies to up
Der and neither solcs as well as to digestion.
By way of argument, imagine the final charge
of tho Guards at Waterloo made In bad boots.
It would have been oil very we'll for the great
Duke to have said, "Up, Guards, and at 'em;"
had failed, and we had lost Waterloo, what
next and next? But, badinage apart, no one
will feel inclined, we suppose, to deny the in
fuence OF the mind upon the body, and vice
versa. When boots are hopelessly gone, shame
seems to have departed also. What terribly
bad boots we see crossing -sweepers 1ol owing
their profession in. But these are put on
,to rnitu foa1f md
the effect is lost upon US. But is there more
piteous sight than poor beggar with boot
on one foot and q shoe on the other? man
brought to this point Of degradation must be
demoralized beyond the hope of recovery.
With women the moral influence OF bad boots
is not 30 great as with men, for the reason that
they conlrive not to show them; but the
physical influence is far more serious. The
writer, speaking from long experience in the
practice of n dispensary where the poor main
" apply, can safely say that not 1.-THE Of
this class possess sound boots. Hidden un-
der the petticoats, they are allowed to wear
sometimes until the feet arc just upon the
ground, and the wearer's stockings are from
morning to night, in wet Weather, In state Of
sop.
This may soem minor evil, but it is just
the one that causes half the disease among
poor women, whose constitutions render
them FOR less able to bear exposure Of this
kind than the other sex. There are clubs and
benefit societies of all kinds, but we cannot
fancy an institution that would do more inn
mediate and lasting good than Good Boots
Club for the benefit Of women. We may as
cend higher in the social scale and hnd the
same evil prevailing. Many poor governesses
and servants are shockinely shod. It is Just
the weak point in their dress which they can
not hide, and they invariably do it, whereas it
lies at the foundation Of their health and that
OF their children, and it should claim their
first attention. We laugh at the Gathering
wooden sabots Of the French and German
working classes; but in comparison with the
fimsey, ill-made foot coverings our own poor
indulge in, they are more healthy and lasting.
But fashion, even with the very poor, is far more
powerful, we fear, than considerations OF
health or service.