, 1874-12-06
The Proposed clearinghouse and Indus
trial School for Working
Women.
Some Objections to the First.
Named Project.
The Misfortune of Looking Like
@ Married Man.
Miscellaneous Items Relative to Fem
ininity.
All About Shoes

tional Society tho Rov. Robert Oollyer illustrated
genteel paupersln by an anecdato Of decayed
gentlewoman who needed aims, but refused pair
of stout ehoos, although sho was barefoot. This
he used as an argument against aiding geuseel
paupers, espeuial!y decayed gentlowonen. That
there is crying evil against which ho Gins this
blow, there Gun be NO doubt; for often the inso-
lonce Of tbs dependent portions OF Rociety liz aB
trying to tho patssnce as the agRressions OF its
dangerous classoB and tho charity which builds
palaces for prisoners and paupers and leaves
tho hard-worslng members Of thehunan family
to dwell in novels. is vaak imitation OF genuine
benovolenco but that decayed gentlewotnan
should rofuse coarse or clumsy shoes
Is NOT sTrAyGE,
nor WAS the motive OF i1or decision all vanity. or
strictly feminine in its nature.
In the summer Of 1868, while On Il general visit
OF inspection III Washington hospital, nurse
directed me- TO q man deemed rather dangerous
ofapproacll. TONY Offers Of assistance ho replied
with sncers nnd insults. Ho knew ell about tho
folks who were stealing sanitary stores under
pretense Of helping soldiers, and was much too
eld i bird to bc chught with any OF my chan. I
drew up chair, sat lo:ssro1y down, go that I
could look straight into Lis eyes, mid sternly
ner. He doggedly n1aintaihod TINT he had q
right to talk as ho pleased and gave him such
lecture as he had not had in o long while for
he must be conquered, or he would probably die
OF his wounds. After I hid exercised the evil
apirit, left him in quite good hunor, greatly
to the joy OF the nurse. SAN him again, 4
month after, go far convalscent that he lay On
tho outside Of the bod-cover, dressed; and, to
7
do fur him, lie very PLEASANTLY asked for pair
of ehoes. explaining that army shoes and iospi-
tal slippers did not tit him. I saw the trouble.
He HAD beautiful feet, WIS cAvalry1nan, aud
Lad been badly wounded III Q charge es desperate
d that of Balaklava- 3faty day and Oft he
had sat on his steed or galloped furiously into
the eueuays rants, glanclng down, ever and
anon, OH those symmetrical feet i'll their hand
somo boots. 10 look ut them now, in dowdy
cloth-sppers. annoyed him 80 much as to
EEfARD HIS RECOVERY:
beeides, tho slippers did not give TO his muscles
the customary support. aud ho needed TINT when
he hobbed on l,is crutches. So got the meas
ure Of those handsome feet. walked mile
through the broiling sun, and brought him q
pair Of neat 1eather-bnskins. Their perfect tit,
and the pleasure thoF gave, would, felt: insure
his return TO the saddle . month earlier than
without them.
Now, how would it do to ASSUME that ell caro-
OF wounded soldiers is weakness, because that
enc was cross Us bear, vain us :: woman, bravo
as lion, and wanted par Of rrctty shoes,
instead of the stout article which Uuclo Samuel
provided?
Who is responsible for this human vanity
about shoes? Not to go further back into tho
origin Of things. lot me ASK MI. Collyer il he
ever reaa Cinderella. and aided: in ANYWAY; In its
circuIatiou7 Did lie ever think Of the influence
it has on the dcstinies Of hundreds OF Millions:
Dv it, children, from tho earliest dawn OF reason
arc taught to regard small shoes Gs the external
manifestation Of all the inward grnces. Dy it,
every babv-boy is Taught that the
STANDARD OF FEMALE PERFECTION
is small feet, or. rather. tho cbil4ty to put On
small shoe. Each lad is fired with ambition to
emulate tho Prince in choosing lcdy-lovo with
the smallest possible feet. Each girl learns
shat dainty shoes are tbs title to royal bride
hood. 10 havo large feet is to be cnvious. un-
Just, hateful. and III old maid; while No. l
slipper la the key which unlocke the treasures Of
the East aud places its wcarer on tho very pin
naclo OF human greatnoHs.
Of courae, the poor old Sentlewoman who must
needs havo fno shoes was pupil of the Gin
dcrella school: and shall wo blame her severely
il the golden dreams of her childhood fingered
amid the iron realities Of age aud want?
Have not all Englieh-roading people been
taught to do homage before that wonderful
bride whose charms wero sung by ono of our
oldest poets. because
Her feet beneath her pctt1coat,
like little mice. peeped in and out7
How can AlF. COllyer, or any other man who
has acquieEced in this system Of education for
women, turn in scoru uEou them for being what
thcy ara /? 1t il co recently that they haro taken
any part in tho creation OF the literature which
nlolds their character, their influence in cduca-
,ional matters is 70 circumscribcd to-day, that
ther cauot rightfully be be1d accountable for be-
ing what they arc. Tic poor Chinese women, who
have next to no feet at ALL are thus crippled to
crafty tho tastes Of Chinese men.-not of tho
common herd. bns Of the authors. philosophers,
and poets among them: aud, bY similar agency
our English and American women aro crippled
for life, that they may be con{ormed to the task
OF
TIE IDIOT
wno wrote !ne . romance OF tno pun1Psln,sns,.'
t;on ~ ti,o i;astitrtjoI, ~ tio von,on ,rho a~o
needing aid in all our cities to-day.
A good leather-shoe, such as would protect q
foot III this climate, ana large enough to clotho
Msuout c1ap.ng ~, W. H.. ] auy "oua ~ r. ~,
ahnca thew wear, in Imitation of Cinderella. Inst
ono month on IN average, 40 that the money
wasted on'shoes would clothe woman comfort
ably and Respectfully; Whuo o1noaestltntion canseo
e.ts Ii - - sn1 " -
ao0os - *-'' sAo ~"~-~ANS A'.S' -