The semi-weekly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1879-1882, 1881-10-20

Anu on the many uucu CEcdtAon
Sets the Souls Imagination
A dreaming.
~<~h>
TIGHT BooTs.-Did you ever wear
any3
Ifyou have not been the happy
proprietor of anything Of the kind. go
at once and secure pair of leather
agonizers, aud wear them half an
hour, that you may understand to
what suffering a human being may
be driven aud still live.
Everybody is ambitious to have
small feet-why, it would be difficult
to tell. II is one Of those indisputa-
BILE facts which it is impossible to ex-
plain.
You go into shop to be fitted.
The clerk is all attention; he knows
his business; be has Just what you
want, exactly--made to order for a
wealthy and particular party, but it
was a misft and would not do. Splen-
did stock best in the market
none like il to be- had for any price +!
sell it for less than cost |!
Strange what numbers of misfits
one comes acrossY
OF course, you can tell him that
you wear sizes smaller than you really
do That is understood. He knows
you will; and it is his province to en-
courage you in the belief that your
feet are smaller than the average.
You tell him you wear threes. He
knows better; but it is not his BUSH
ness to say 50. He offers you three
and half. You try to squeeze your
foot into it; but it won't go. You
grow hot and mortified; but he bland
ly assures you that little dependence
can be placed 10 numbers this is 9
very small three and q half--very-
not larger than two and half .
generally.
Then you begin to feel that you
may venture on something just tribe
larger. He gives you four. With
great deal Of equeezing your foot
goes about halfway in. The heel
sticks. You rise and stamp. Then
the clerk rubs the leather and cosxes
it gently, and you stamp again, and
the thing is done 1.-the boot is on
1t fits you as the skin of q potato, and
your foot is adorned with about as
many lunches as can be found on :
vegetable Of the kind mentioned.
You feel as If your foot had been
turned into q block.--a good-sized one
too-and it is moraentarily growing
bigger. Your ankles Jingle as ifthere
was a nest of striped-tailed wasps
operating in that direction; and the
cold shudders run up and down your
spine.
But no matter. 1t 10 the fashion
to have small feet, and tight boots
are the agent. 1t is agony to bear
that unrelenting pressure on your
toes; but never mind l--your foot
looks SO genteell You guess you
can live through II. and IL will stretch
with wearing, and you'll get thin
ner pair Of stocking.
And SO it happens that through
great tribulation, corns and bunions
are born on your toes, and you wear
plasters and you soak in hot water,
and you out and carve with dull "a
zors, and you try cranberries and
lemon, and soft soap-aud the corn,
pertinAcious as Poe's raven, is still
there.
When, indeed, does the world lose
its charm-life is heaviness, and "the
grasshopper is burden"
Your temper sours, and your nerves
are unstrung, and you are peevish and
cross; and if you are q woman you
scold your children and kick the
poodle; and if you are man you slam
the door and curse the the bootmaker.
Curse, rather, your own pride; for
Of all the weakness to which human
nature object, there is nothing more
contemptibly silly than Furnishing
ones self to the verge Of lunacy with
tight boots.
Imagine Washington taking leave
of the army id tight boots
Imagine st. Paul giving forth hi
prscspts in tight boots.