Nebraska advertiser., 1878-08-01
THE WITHERS TRAGEDY.
Lamentable Result Of COld.F0Oted
Lady's Hazardous Expert
ment.

weather, 1t occasionally happens that
the feet of ladies who are not within
reach of stoves, f1re-places, or fur
mace registers, become painfully cold.
This is, of course, an extremely deli
cate topic, but it is undeniable that
cold feminine feet do exist. AS to the
cause of this phenomenon, there is
much difference of opinion. Mr.. Eu-
gene Lawrence believes that it is due
to the Vaccinations of the Jesuits;
Mr.. Conkling regards il as the newt
able result of the Presidential policy,
and Mr.. Dio Lewis ascribes it to lack
Of oatmeal in the great nervous GEN.
tres, and to the tightness of the-or in
other words-to the excessive pressure
exerted by India rubber. In fact, he
asserts. on the authority of his COM
muDicative milliner, that they check
the circulation of the blood, and thus
render the feet unable to resist the in
fluence of cold weather. Many rem
edies have been proposed, but there
is none which has proved perfectly
satisfactory. It has been confidently
asserted that il any lady were to wear
three pair of thick shoes, together
with two pairs of cotton and six pairs
of woolen-well, stockings-cold feet
would be unknown; but, inasmuch
as the most delicate foot, If thus ar
rayed, would rival in apparent size
and grace a full-grown sofa-cushion,
no lady has ventured to try the reme-
dy. It has also been suggested that
metallic shoes, fitted with tanks for
hot water, would keep the entire fe-
male system In a gentle simmer, but
here again, the size of the proposed
shoe is a fatal objection to the plan.
Mr.. Dio Lewis boldly remarks to the
ladies of Boston: "If you wish to
keep your feet warm, eat a quart Of
oat meal, three times day, and throw
away your elastic-but really his lam
guage cannot be repeated. It is suffi-
cient to say that his advice has not
been followed, and that his country
women indignantly deny that he
knows anything about their circula-
tion. and the effect upon it of the ar
ticles of dress which he coarsely men,
tions.
The wife of Mr.. James Withers, of
East Bridgewater. Mimi, was, until
recently, one of the most respected la
dies in the East Bridgewater Baptist
Church. She was young and beauti-
ful, and in her devotion to the inter
ests of the congregation and the Sun
dayschool, was so conspicuous that
the minister wished that she was
twenty years older, so that he could
without offense refer to her from the
pulpit as prize-specimen mother in
Israel. Minnesota happens to be eX-
cessively cold in winter; so cold, in
fact, that the inhabitants are frequent
ly unable to remember their own
names. In spite of her youth, beau
ty, and general excellence, Mrs.
Withers was peculiarly susceptible to
the influence of cold weather, and
suffered untold agonies from cold
feet, from the 1st of November to the
middle of April. The Baptist meet
ing-house was a particularly cold
place, and it often happened that af-
ter the end of the Sunday morning
service, Mr.. Withers was compelled
to carry his wife to the stove and to
thaw her out, before attempting to
take her home.
During the recent cold snap in East
Bridgewater, Mrs. Withers suffered
so severely that she came to the de-
termination to try every remedy for
cold feet which any one might sug-
gest to her. On Saturday evening,
December 30th, Mr.. Withers being
absent on a visit to Chicago, his
younger brother, u bad young man,
holding the position Of teller in the
bank, and noted for his fondness for
sinful games of every description,
called upon Mrs. Withers, and when
that admirable woman bewailed the
coldness of the Baptist meeting house
told her that he had an iafaHible reci-
pc for keeping the feet warm i'm the
very coldest weather. He advised his
innocent sister-in-law to put half a
pint of Cayenne pepper, mixed with
two table-spoonfuls of ground mus
tard, into each of her stockings, just
before she started to meeting, and as
sured her that if she would try this
cheap and simple remedy. her feet
wouldremain comfortably warm, even
if she did put them under the same
table with those of Hon. Charles
Francis Adams. Mrs. Withers thank
ed the young man with a guileless
gratitude that would have touched the
heart of brass monkey, and instant
ly sent the servant to buy six pounds
of Cayenne pepper.
On the following morning just be-
fore the church bell rang, she used
the combined pepper and mustard in
accordance with her brother-in-law's
instructions, and walked to the meet
ing house without any inconvenience
from the cold. The service began,
and though at arst Mrs. Withers felt
delightfully."- warm, she showed signs
of uneasiness long before the minister
gave out his text. Just when that ell
oquent preacher was well under head
way, he was striken dumb with hor-
ror at the unaccountable conduct of
Mrs. Withers, who suddenly began
to dance in the widest manner, and
to shrek, Take them off" in the
most heart-rending tones. It was
too late in the season for snakes and