Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1880-10-29
THE MUMMy'S FOOT.


One day, wandering aimlcssly
through the streets Of Paris, noticed
little shop which seemed crowded
with bric-a-bpc, and entered it smp-
ly with the den of filling M idle hour
II seemed to be Mt one and the same
time an old iron shop, a wafchonsc
for tapestry and upholstery generally;
the laboratory Of MI alchcmiat and an
artists studio In these mysterious
dens, Where the partly closed shutters
admit only Il very prudent hall light,
the most genuinely antique thing is the
dust: the cObw2bS are much more real
than die tllipure md the po,liStrcc
wood far younger than the mahogany
from Americn, which arrived yestei-
day.
This establishment was especially
curious; every age and every country
seemed to meet there. An Eutruscnn
lamp Of red clay was placed on II
Boule armoire, with ebony panels Sc.
verely decorated with fine lines of
copper inlaid; duchess ehnir Of the
reign Of Louis Nv. stretched its CLAW
feet under heavy Louis VIII. table
with clumsy-twstcd onkcn legs, carved
in foliage and fantastic figures. suit
Of armor from Milan, beautifully in
lnid, was reelected in nm antique mir
ror in the corner; exquisite little loves
and nymphs in biscuit grotcsquc
Chinese figures and beautiful cups of
Saxony and old Seyrcs We're crowded
upon the etcgcrcs and the corner
brackets, On the dcnticulnte,l shelves
I,,t,..
of Japan ware, with blue and rcd de-
signs relieved by gliding, side by side
with Bernard dc pnlissp's exquisite
ennmclcd china representing addcrs,
lizards and frogs il relief. From half
open armoires escaped cascades Of Ill
yer brocnde, and waves Of brocntclle
powdered with gold glittering in nm
obliquc ray of sunlight; portraits Of
every age smiled mt one another
through their yellow ynrnish from out
frames Ill moro or less shubhy
The shopIecpcr followed me very
closely in my labyrinthiue passage he
tween the piles of furniture, keeping
his eyes and sometimes his hnnd on my
cont tails, and watching my elbows
with tho anxiety of IN nntlqunry and
Insurer He hnd such IN odd face,
this shop-kccper; an enormous hend
bald mud shining, surrounded with M
aureole Of thin white hnir, which throw
ing into bold relief tho peculiar salmon
color of his skin gnvc him nm mir of
patrnrchnl simplicity, counterhnlmccd,
however 10y tho twinkling of two little
yellow eyes which trembled in their or
bits like two louis d'ors on quicksilver.
The curve Of his nose had IN nquilc
outline, recalling the Oriental or lew
ish type. His hands thin, yeincd, trans
parent, full of nerves protmding like
the strings ON the handle Of n violin.
with claws rather than nails like those
terminating the mombranous wings Of
ii bnt had nm inccssant senile oscillation
most unpleasant to witness; but these
same hands So useless with nervous
twchiugs became iirmcr than steel
forccps on Holsters claws rs soon ~
they raised for inspection some prcc-
lous ohjcct-un onxy cup, II Venetian
glass or plate of Bohemian crystal.
This queer old fellow looked SO thor
oughly rahbnenl and cnhalistic that
three centuries ago he would assurcdly
tluNf l'ill A'illlliN NV WV SUNNI lllN ~
penrNnce would have been considered
sufficient proof OF guilt.
"Can not sell YOU anything to-daN,
Monsieur? Look 1T this Mahyan sword
the blade quiycrs and unduMtos like il
flame: sec those grooves for draining
OIL the blood, those reverse indcnatlons
for tearing out intestines whom the
sword is withdrawn. il is n fcrocious
weapon, very rlro, and would look well
in a collection Of arms; here i Il sword
To he used in both hands, il is ono of
In Hera :, and this"
"No; have IN abundance of arms
and weapons of every description; !
should like little figure. some little
triile which, could use ns i papor-wcight
for | cannot endure these trumpery
little hrongcs sold by every stationer,
which one invariably sees on every
desk @Js8 A
The old gnomc, rlnnaglng among
his trash, finally diplpyed some nm
tiquo bronKcs. Int least he called them
So-some pieces of malaehitc, some
Hindoo and Chinese idiots-+n sort oi
poussa Of OK stone inoarnations Of
Bramnh IL Nishou, singnlarN appro-
pirate for thenet Very divine purpose
Of keeping Journals and papers III
place.
Istood ,hesitating betwcenn porcelain
dragon aud il little Mexican fetish,
most nhmlnably ugly, being i repre-
scntation Of the god Nitziliput1ili,
when caught sight Of an exqui.
site little foot which at first thought
must be fragment Of an antique
Venus. II Ind tho beautiful yellow
tint which gives tile Florentinc bronze