Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1873-06-14
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De appreciated IL must pc read
SHOES.
"Some to the sun their wings unfold,
Borne by the breeze on clouds of gold;'
and [ see the star. of surprise at the
simplicity shown in the selection of my
subject. / assure you, | made earnest
effort to get footing elsewhere. The
search for Gamer Gurton's Needle
was not more tedious, trying and exas-
perating. 1t is not what literary peo-
pie call taking tile, but novelties in
literature furnish the chief topics of
the times. With the imagination of
an aactioneer / might invest my theme
with artistic and artificial attractions
deficient in this, my sole objectshall be
to treat the subject IN such style that
all may have proper understanding
of it.
1t is not my purpose to take you to
Lynn, Of to any other place extensively
engaged in the manufacture of Shoes.
That would involve French frauds,
English entertainments and Chinese
labor. An dytless American with ten
der toes would prefer that these topics
of Domestic Economy and Foreign
Relations be left to Ministers of State,
Monopolists, Capitalists, The Bureau,
Tax Assessor and Revenue Collector.
Mr.. Darwin, On Relations and Ex-
pressions, advances some interesting
items ON the present dress of man as
relating to a former state. His history
of the coat-is curious, yet almost any
article of apparel can be made to prove
man rs origin just as conclusively.
l shall not attempt to dnte-date the
Shoe. That it had an early introduce
ton into civilized creation there can
be no doubt What the changing ere
atoms wore for the protection of their
pedal oppendages is puzzling to specu-
lation. 1t must have been hard to ge,
a ill, and find no remains of Shoe
Store IN that primitive period. Shoes,
like everything else, are plain and fig
urative-real andideal. To run par
allel and bring out in charming con-
trast the beauties of the different
kinds, l will not try, but step here and
there as fact or fancy may invite.
From earliest times it was considered
a mark of dishonor, or social or fam
lily degradation to go barefoot.
The marvellous story of Cinderella
and her Slippers excites Suspicion Of
this in the mind of the child too young
to understand it; and all he sympa-
thy of her soul goes out to the little
girl who was not suffered to wear Shoes
This feeling intensifes as the girl grows
and turns to softest sorrow as she reads
the story of Maud Muller and realizes
"That the barefoot maiden raking the hay
Decided the balance of right and wrong
With Shoes well laced, of softest skin,
The judges bride she might have been.
The barefoot prodigal returning to
his fathers house is a very pathetic
picture. And the father said to his
servants, Bring forth the best robe and
put it upon him, and put ring on hi:
hands and Shoes on his feet" Restor.
ing the Shoes was a token of reconcd
iation and restoration to family priv
leges and social rights. IF men ca,
or must walk, Shoes are in some sort {
necessity; unless we suppose the ways
of life to lie only in pleasant paths.
/ They teach us much of the state O
society, degree of civilization and NOR
al condition of people.
Shoes were used in the transfer O
property, so that the old custom o
casting a Shoe after the newly welded
signifed something more than gooC
qoishes, and God save you from the
witchesl
Sir John Vaudeville, the first prose
writer in English literature, gives us
quaint picture of Chinese life anon.
the "Noblesse." lie says: The no
blesse of the women is for to hav,
smalle feet and litelle, and therefore
anon as thei ben borne, they leet binde
there feet so streyte that they may no
grower halle as nature woulde. y
This cruel custom, although original
ing among the heather Chinee, wa.
partially adopted by other nations
claiming to be christian. One write
exclaims, SHANE on the fair folk VIII
wear Shoes so small that they ar,
neither useful nor ornamental F"
A little before this period a French
historian speaks of Paris as the resor
of the most vain and frivolous anon!
men; they respected neither faith no,
promises of peace; their manners ant
dress were disorderly; their 6uskin
shamefully fashioned. The Shoe
worn by the ladies were small and no
wanting in cunning contrivances.
The French, ever first IN folly ant
fast in fashion, then declared that
mans rank must be known by tn
length of his Shoes. A prince migh
wear them two and half feet long 4
simple knight was reduced to eighteen
inches, and plain citizen to twelve
Hence, their proverb, "Etre sur al
grdnde pied dams Ie monde " to be up
, on great foot in the world; or as W
more pertinently put it-''good footin
in society"
This fashionable foible had its orr
! gin in the personal deformity of no
BILE, but to such enormous excess wa
it carried that the Catholic clergy O
the day, ever on the alert for sinai
sins, raised the cry of "heresy," an,
earnestly exhorted the ladies not to lie
nor cheat, nor steal, nor wear Tom
Shoes. The pioas Pope imposed heav
penalties for the wearing Of such Shoe:
so the wearers went from one ridicu
lOus extreme to another, for to avoi
payment of the penalty, they took fror
E the length and added to the breadtl
The Israelites had reached the low