Sharp County record., 1878-02-15
A Minnesota Remedy for Cold Feet.

of stoves, tire-places, or furnace regis
ters become painfully cold. This is, of
course, an extremely delicate topic, but
it is undeniable that cold feminine feet
do exist. Many remedies have been
proposed, but there is none which has
proved perfectly satisfactory. 1t has
been confidently asserted that if any
lady were to wear three pair of thick
shoes, together with two pair of cotton
and six pair of woolen-well, stockings,
cold feet would be unknown; but mas
much as the most delicate foot if thus
arrayed would rival in apparent size
and grace a full-grown sofa cushion, no
lady has ventured to try the remedy. 1t
has also been suggested that metallic
shoes fitted with tanks for hot water
would keep the entire female system in
a gentle simmer, but here again the size
of the proposed shoes is fatal obiec-
ton to the plan. Mr. DiO Lewis boldly
remarks to the ladies of Boston: elf
you wish to keep your feet warm eat q
quart of oat-meaf three times a day, and
throw away your elastic" but really
his language can not be repeated. 1t is
sufficient that his advice has not been
followed, and that his country-women
Indignantly deny that he knows any
thing about their circulation, and the
effect upon it of the articles of dress
which he coarsely mentions.
The wife of Mr. James WitherS, of
East Bridgewater, Mimi, was until re-
Gently, one OF the most respected ladies
in the East Bridgewater Baptist Church.
She was young and beautiful, and in her
devotion to the interests of the congre-
cation and the Sunday-school was so
conspicuous that the minister wished
that she was 20 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 frequently una
bic to remember their own names. In
spite of her youth, beauty, and general
excellence, Mrs. Withers was peculiarly
susceptible to the influence Of cold
weather, and suffered untold agonies
from cold feet from the first of Novem-
ber to the middle of April. The Bap,
tist Westinghouse was a particularly
cold place, and it often happened that
after 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 determin-
alton to try every remedy for cold feet
which any body might suggest to her.
On Saturday evening, Dec. 80, Mr..
Withers being absent on a visit to Chi
cago, his younger brother, bad young
man, holding theposition of Teller in the
local bank, and noted for his fondness for
sinful games of every description, called
upon Mrs. Withers, and when that ad-
mirable woman bewailed the GOODNESS
of the Baptist meeting house, told her
he had an infallible recipe for keeping
the feet warm in the very coolest wealth
er. He advised his innocent sister-in-
law to pour half a pint of Cayenne pep
per, mixed with two tablespoonfuls of
ground mustard, into each of her stock
ings, just before going to meeting, and
assured her that if she would try this
cheap and simple remedy her feet would
remain comfortably warm. Mrs. With
ers thanked the young man with a
guileless gratitude that would have
touched the heart of brass monkey,
and instantly sent the servant to buy
six pounds of Cayenne pepper.
On the following morning, just before
the church-bell rang, she used the COM
bined pepper and mustard in accord
ance with her brother-in-law's instruc-
tions, and walked to the meeting house
without any inconvenience from the
cold. The service began, and though
at first Mrs. Withers felt delightfully."-
warm, she showed signs of uneasiness
long before the minister gave out his
text. Just when that eloquent preacher
was well under way, he was stricken
dumb with horror 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, 1t was too
late in the season for snakes, and hence
the congregation jumped to the conclu-
sion that Mrs. Withers had gone mad.
! The DeacOns promptly fastened to her
relief, but the more they tried to calm
her the more violently she danced.
Finally she broke loose from them, and
tearing off hershoes and stockings fled
barefooted to the nearest house.
While the congregation watched her
aight down the aisle and Won
dered whether she could break
hole in the frozen river
large enough for drowning. purpose, a
sudden and unanimous desire to sneeze
fell upon them, and for the next ten