Whig and tribune. [volume] (Jackson, Tenn.) 1870-1877, 1876-05-06
TIGHT BOOTS.
BY GRACE THORNTON.

| ter-ol. fact relations Miss Isabel Dem
| hams mother has an aunt, a maiden
lady of great wealth, great kindness Of
heart, but most incOnvenient indepen
dence of thought and speech.
Isabel is a very lovely girl-inteilisent,
agreeable and amiabie, but like all other
fashionable young ladies, Isabel believes
that whatever is the style is right, and so
follows the oracle of fashion without
| question.
Dear Isabel said her 1lippant and
provoking acquaintance, Miss Mildred
Newton, ''what patient soul you are, TO
endure that captiOHs old lady's remarks
about your beautiful hat! She said il
was only the other day you wore yours
rcstiHg on the point of your nose, and
now you have IL lying on the nape of
your neck, with your forehead left bare.
| wonder what she viii say next? l
should get positively angry; / never
should be able to keep my temper as you
do.''
''Aunt Alethea is so kind and good that
| should be very sorry TO get angry with
her, said Isabel, gently; Though l
really do wish she would not he so severe
and hard to satisfy about the fashions.
Besides | must say, Mildred, that some of
the STYLES are rather tryiug-thiS dress,
for instance. l really do dread my aunt's
remarks about the way it is drawn back,
elegant"
..Of course it Is. The next thing to
being truly classic, and like the Grecian
statues who wear no dTapery, is to have
as little ~ possible, and am sure there
is scarcely fold in your dress-it is
drawn round you like well-fittinS
glove"
Isabel sighed aul Looked discouccrtcd.
Il am nOt Quite sure that it is sensible
10 wear drcsS-skirtS So very tight she
said with a little hesitation OF manner.
''It is quite fortunate for those who
have pretty feet" laughed Mildred.
"Miue look tolerably we'll, believe, so
don't mind It in tho least
70 prove which, she flHng herself back
OH the sofa, and her tight skirt wrinkling
up, tislayed irather more than pair of
neat feet, in pretty French boots, that
tapped the rich carpet of Mrs. Denham's
drawing-roow with easy assurance.
Isabel and Mildred were only fashion
able friends thrown together in society
constantly, but scarcely drawn TO each
other by mutual love or congeniality of
feelin..
Indeed, Isabel more than suspected her
cOmpaniOn-whO was an acknOwled
coquet, and who prided herself on her
power of'charming gentlemen at will
of trying to captivate Mr. Haywood, her
brothers old friend, who, while he came
frequently to their house during his stay,
in his friendship with Charles Denham,
had given Charle's sister more than one
proof that she was the attraction which
held him there.
Isabel had not admitted, even to her
own heart, how pleasant this implied ad-
miration was to her, how eagerly she
looked for Mr.. HeywOOd's coming, and
counted the hours of his absence, but
when Mildred, glancing down ut her
own pretty feet, remarked, cOmplacent-
iy. "Mr EevwOOd said Yesterday, in the
Art Gallery, that no figure was lovely in
his eyes, that did not begin with pair
| of small, well-shaped feet" She felt the
warm blood rush to her face and tingle
| to her finger ends, for she saw in the an
/ scrupulous tlirt's observation = determi-
nation 10 storm Mr.. HeywOod's heart on
| this avOwed weakness of his, and to win
/ his fancy ut any hazard, by the boldly
| displayed facinatiOn of the prcttiesC pos
| sible pair of boots.
! She crossed the room AMI answered
! carelessly, while she took pains 70 con-
/ ceal her tell-tale face, for Isabel was too
/ proud to permit her feelings to betray
| her.
"Of course you mean to be one of the
/ riding-paTty Tomorrow continued Mil
/ dred. Il heard your brother Charlie say
/ that he aud Mr.. Haywood meant to Chal-
/ lenge the ladies TO climb those great rocks
near the Glen House, and to test their
| courage and strength by the ascent. l
/ am delighted tor oue-I shouldn't mind
scaling the side of Il precipicc in these
nice dresses, that have no loose drapcry
| to impede ones movements
And again she tapped the shapcly feet,
/ with which she intcRded to do such exc
cuiion and destroy the peace of AIR. Hey
/ wood.
Isabel laughed aud said something She
>carcely knew what, in reply, for her
miud was busy and unsettled on the
i sat iect ot her own pedal cNtrcmitics.
II have not got small feet To begin
I WITH She thought distracte,ily; and
Z WhcsI Re Cuir sent home those lovely
/ h,,nls last evening. aunt Alethca insisted
. ou examining them and declaring that
/ they were full tWO sizes SMALLER than inv
( fevf, sent them back and ordered 4 larger
! pair. 1 have none that can compare with
/ those uf Mildred'S aud, Is she says, these
| dresses do show feet dreadfully. What
/ shall l dO:'
She could not quite conclude at her
{ first thought, but she was certain of one
. thjuw-She never would allow that thor
uu.h Coguct To triumph over her with
/ q paic of French boots il she could help
it.
They parted the best ot friends appa-
I UcUtle, bat at heart SaciI WAS determined
I 10 DuINll the oLltE.
''Ha, ha! laughed Miss Mildred New
tom 70 herself. Isabel fIncics that Mr..
Haywood Is already her sworn admirer
bUJ I'll prove that he can be won To
change his allegiance, and I think l was
very. generous TO give her warning rs
liave done. l looked at her heavy boots
made after her auut's plan | suppose
and saw my advantage ut a glance
At that moment, Isabel vas doing a
( foolish thing. In the retirement OF her
own room, She was inditing Il hasty note
10 lie CUR, begging that the rejected
boots might be sent TO her at once; aud
before an hour passed, the man had
brought them, and she had managed to
thrust her feet in, and succeeded in but
toniug them. with the exercise of all her
I strength and a stout buttou-hook.
She stood up in them before her dres-
singmirror. Mercy. how they crushed
her feet and made them ache and burn.
But they looked elegantly, no doubt OF
that. She was great deal taller than
little Mildred Newton, and her compress
ed and tortured feet We're quite as small
rs hers.
Il must get used 10 the rain,' said the
young martyr 70 appea rance. 81 must
not mind twinge or TWO, where so much
is at stake"
So she moved about her room, hoping
that the agony would decrease, or she
become accustomed to it, until the sup
per-bell rang, when she hastily exchang-
ed the instrument of torture for her or