The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1883-01-13
SabOtS

winch write, has permitted myself ana
a friend to inspect. Here are some tiny
ones cut out of fine pine or willow wood,
all figured and ornamented with cary
ings Of leaves, and sprigs and flowers,
and all bedizened with bows of gay rib
bons. Young materfamilias will cramp
baby's chubby toes in these for no other
ostensible reason than that as she, man.
ma, wears sabots, baby must follow suit;
nay, more, baby's doll, too, for see this
pair of lockwood slippers One and a-half
inches in length, most perfectly and ele-
gantly completed, and meant for the
waxen feet of the pD1p'e. Alongside OF
these infinitesimal creations of the sa-
botiers are living others really not so
very much unlike lilliputian half-decked
boats, so large, thick, rudely-hollowed
out and roughly-shaped are they. The
material is beech wood of the toughest
grain, the manufacture is of the COM
monest shape; the whole concern seems
"deformed. unfinished, sent before its
time into the (saboD world, for the use
and behoof of Antoine, the cowherd, or
of Pierre, the plowman, who, having
wrapped his feet in pieces of old blanket
or wisps of straw, will thrust them into
these most ungainly coverings and hob
BILE along. Many of these peasants
sabots are dried in an oven so as to evap-
crate every particle of moisture linger-
ing within the cells of the ligneous fiber,
and this process has impaired to them
palish brown tint; but those which have
not been so treated retain the yellowish
color of the wood from which they have
been cut out. The arched frent-piece
under which the toes slip; the sides and
the part which represent the sole and
heel, have all been formed out of solid.
oblong, four-sided block of timber, and
give the idea that no other cutting in
struments than Ratchet and gouge, and
those none of the keenest, have been
employed by the sabotier to mold them.
When we remark to M. &c that the
thing is unshapely, unfinished, and
might with advantage be fined down a
bit, he replies: perhaps so, monsieur,
but what can you expect in shoe which
sells in France for one franc, and which
can dispose of herefor fifteen pence?" and
we are forced to admit, not much. evil
these sabots wear well?' say we. "Why
not? half a lifetime" loosely answers
M. &c, land when done with one
can turn them to account in keeping
the pot-au-feu simmering."
Next to these low priced and inferior
.sabots come those worked out of neater
blocks of inferior wood, on which more
pains have been bestowed in shaping
and where there has evidently been a
touch or two of the chiSel, the scoop and
the knife. The soles of these are thinner
and iatter, the heels are plainly demon
strated bya ridge; sand-paper has re-
moved many uncomfortable asperities;
in some few there has even been rude
attempt al ornamentation while others
have been daubed over with dull coat
ing of black paint, both for preservation
and show. These would-be improve
ments have, however, raised the value
of the article to two francs more. "Who
put on things of this knd?" we inquire.
young farmers, little tradesmen, mar
ket women and such like folks" replied
Mr.. &c. 'But have seen q JUICE
de la paix, otherwise faultless!y dressed,
come Gathering into court with sabots
just like these upon his judicial feet, and
Mile. Marie, the village cOquette, would
rather go pit-a-patting down the road
with those on than with a pair of NJ.
Lecocb's best balmorals."
Next in the category of ssbots come
those made for ''gens de condition."
male and female, and which, though
still bearing the generic name, hardly
deserve it, for it is only their soles and
heels which are cut out of wood, the rest
of the shoes being out of leather.
Some are plain, some embossed and
| otherwise embellished, the kid or calf
skin Fittings" being lacquered and
| fastened with plated buckles or buttons
! and all are turned out in style which
speaks more of the boutque of the cor
donnier than the hovel of the cabotier.
II can't sell these" says the exhibitor,
taking up pair of the best, "under five
or six shillings."
Throwing aside several kinds of wooden
| shoes, some excellent, some poor, some
very spruce, and some uncommonly
clumsy, M. &c dives into trunk
and triumphantly takes out a pair which
he admiringly holds up and says: look
here, gentlemen, here is the perfection
OF the sabot; here is a present worthy to
give madame the wife, or-airing his
English-leetle Miss re daughter--price
yum half guinee." We look as requested,
and see pair of la1y's "cla1ues" size
of the smallest. The sole is of close
grained wood, and it has been rubbed
down with glass-paper or emery until ii
has become as smooth AMI as polished as
ivory; so also is the heel, which, in shape
and setting is the exact counterfeit pre-
sentiment OF the boot-heel of the young
lady of the period-.that is to say, high,
narrow, scooped away and thrown toe
much forward at right angle from the
center of gravity. The whole of the front
is of patent leather creased into wrinkles,
as were our once-popular Hessians- Some
gilt hooks and imitation lacings of bright
red cord pass across the instep; the side:
are also bound with scarlet ribbon, and
velvet of the same color lines them
"Are they not beautiful" repeats NJ
&c. '"Quite too, too utterly utter
say we. "but surely intended for the
stage and not for the streets" "Par
do !, sare! zey are not for re theater, zey
are for re promenade, and will take. y
The Queen.
| Tight Laclng.