Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1879-05-14
A SHOE CLERK.
A Lesson He Was Taught--The Cir
Didn't Kick. but the Old Lady Did.

A Lesson He Was Taugl.t--The Cir
Didn't Kick. but the Old Lady Did.
1t is strange how different civilization
looks upon the same matter. In Japan,
for Instance, men, women and children
battle freely together, and with no
thought of suggestion, of indecency.
There, is, in the United States even,
a wide difference in the views which
women of different section entertain
In respect to what constitutes an insult
from q man. 1t is undeniable that, at
the north, 81 degree of contact and
familiarity is tolerated without thought
of improperly, which in the south, is
resented as an lmpertinence and inso-
lence. The recent tragedy at Rich
mond, Va.,} in which Charles G. Curtis
was shot dead by John Poindexter, is a
case IN point. The murdered man had
complim ented Miss. Isabella Cottrell,
POlndexter's sweeth cart, on her pretty
foot, and had as the young lady declar-
ed squeezed her arm rather too warm
~ in helping her into a carriage. With
this as a provocation, Poindexter cow
hided Curtis and then shot him dead,
and the jury, could not agree that
Poindexter had committed crime in
taking Curtis life. ,s@mHo.2
A New York girl the other day, in
vited her aunt from Savannah, who was
visiting her, to enter Broadway shoe
store with her. Araminta, the niece,
much to her aged relatives horror, pro-
jected her pretty foot and ankle across
the clerks knee, and her old boots re-
moved and submitted interestedly,
holding her dress conveniently out Of
the way, while the clerk began the pro-
cess Of encasing the fair ones neither
extremities In new and extra-long
pair of SIS "high buttoners." The Savan-
nah aunt was shocked beyond express
sion at her niece's strange immodesty
IN exposing her stockinged foot to male
gaze, and when the shoe clerk, begin
ming at the lower buttons, gradually
progressed upward in his work, Georgia
mOdesty and propriety could no longer
endure the shocking spectacle, and
down came the old girls sun-um brella
On the shoe clerks head with whack,
and her fingers, tingling with shame,
purpose that Araminta explained that
such occurrences were the Irregular
thing in New York. That is undoubt-
eddy the, truth, and the reporter who
has been interviewing New York bellies,
apropos of the bloody tragedy at Rich
mOnd, doubtless correctly reports the
views which prevail among women in
Gotham. He says: y'afv n
asked one of the bellies of Fifth
avenue if she allowed a shoe clerk to
put on her shoes. r.......
"Why, Of course do" she said, "and
lace them up too. That is what snoe
clerk is for, Only silly woman, with
country ideas, would object to shoe
clerk putting on her shoes. Every WELL
bred lady IN New York expects the
clerk to lace a new pair Of shoes"
"But suppose the clerk should re-
mark, you have pretty foot or, your
foot is small would you be indignant"
Certainly not. / should consider
the remark the same as if a servant had
made it, ra....y .,os, 9df ri
'"Do you allow a young gentleman
clerk to put on a new kid glover
eyes. In Paris the glove clerk a.
ways puts on a new glove for you.
While would not allow a young gen
tleman friend TO put on my glove,
consider it highly proper for a glove
clerk to do it." ~. ,-.
Suppose a gentleman at a party in
your own set should squeeze your hand
in the Lancers, what would you do?'
"Now, that is different thing. II he
were an intimate friend /. should take
it as a joke. If he were my lover I
should return it; but If he were q casual
acquaintance, and thought he squeez-
ed my hand impertinently, would cut
him dead. | shouldn't tell anyone, but
the man would suffer a silent punish
ment."
1@Would you go back to the same
clerk three times, as did Miss Cottrell,
if he said your foot was pretty?"
eyes, if [ had business there. If MS
remarks offended me. should tell him
to please make no remark. I shouldn't
have gone to my lover with silly
story" ,.-.G, 's--. 2s.al-o..5s