The Portland daily press., 1871-11-15
The Moral Eject Of Boots.

The influence of boots upon the mind is
very different from that of any other garment.
A man may have shocking bad hat, pu' ~
forgets it; his coat may be worn tnreau' ,".,,
but his mind ia not directed TOWARDS ~
We defv q man IN stand upright III PAIR VI
h,oucbas with ,rorn-down heels, and we De-
lieve II "a inst as difficult to staho horahy up
ill. =, thom A sense of meanness possess
90 him. he feels that everybody is noticing
tbam. He cannot look people straight in the
f.ce and feel upon the square with them. He
faels the weakness of his foundation, and he
mistrusts the character of the superstructure
that they support, however imposing in other
respects. A man shabby in the boot some
times fatters himself that he carries of atten-
ton from them by the use OF splendid neck
tie; but, this is delusion and snare. The
booe are the key OF the position, and we feel
sure that no man ought to undertake any Sc
rious matter unless he stands up in good
sound pair of boots.
A celebrated psychologist has said that. if
human actions could be searched into. il
would be found that the intestines of one
man often influence the destines of another
Doubtless this is profound remark. but # an
plies to upper and neither soles as well as to di.
gestion. BY way of argument, imagine tbf
final charge OF the Guards at Waterloo made
in bad boots. 1t would have been all very
wen lor the great Duke to have said, Sup
GUARDS, and at 'em," but could they have col
AZ toem! And If they had failed, and had
!ost waterloo, what next, and next? But
badinage apart, no one will feel inclined, we
suppose, to deny the influence of the mind
upon the body, and oice uerss When boots
are hopeessy gone, shame seems to have de-
parted also. What terribly bad boots we see
on crossing sweepers following their profess
sion. But these are put on sometimes to ex-
cite pity. We feel this, and the effect is lost
upon u.s. But is there more piteous sight
than poor beggar with boot on one foot
and a shoe on the other? A man brought TO
this point of degradation must be demoraliz-
ed beyond the hope of recovery. With wo.
men the moral influence of bad boots is NOT
80 great as with men, for the reason that thew
contrive not to show them; but the physical
influence is far more serious. The writer
speaking from long experience in the practice
OF dispensary, where the poor mainly apply
can safely say that not a 1.-THE of this class
possess sound boots. Hidden under the:pet.
ticoats, they are allowed TO wear sometimes
until the feet are just upon the ground. and
the wearer's stockings are from morning to
night in wet weather, in state of SOD
This may be minor evil, but it is lust the
one that causes half the disease among poor
women, whose constitutions render them far
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 immediate
and lasting good than Good Boots Clup. for
the benefit of women. We NAV ascend HIGH.
er in the social scale, and find the same evil
pervadlng. Many poor governesses and ser
wants are shockingly shod. 1t is lust the
weak point in their dress which they can hide.
ana they invariably do it, whereas il lies at
tne ioundatlon of their health, and that OF
tneir children, and it should claim their first
attention. We laugh at the clatterino wood.
en- sapot OF the French and German WORKING
classes; but, in comparison with the flimsy
iii-made foot coverings our own poor indulge
IN, they are more healthy and lasting: but
Iasnlon even with the very poor, is far more
powerful, we fear, than considerations of
health or service. VI
we have said enough to show that had
Doots may be considered one of those social
evils OF the day worth recognition. It was
ane WISH OF one of the best French kings that
Every poor man should have a fowl in his not.
~ wishes had the power of fulfilling them.
serves 1t would be good wish that every poor
N an had sound pair of boots to her feet.
'ia were the case there would be far less
Afsease, and half the dispensary doors in the
town would be closed.