The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1886-11-13

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polished, after all, did you, Harry? Per-
haps you thought no one but mamma
would notice them, but this auntie knows
the minute you come into the room
whether your shoes are polished thor
oughly, heels and all, and whether your
nails are in good order. And you don't
pay quite enough attention to these
things, my boy. You wash yourself nice
and clean and keep your hair nicely, but
it you want to please this auntie you
must be more careful about the other
things, too. A gentleman should never
come into the parlor with dirty shoes.
There is nothing, perhaps, that gives one
more slovenly and careless appear
ANGEL"
Harry listened attentively and then
said:
"Don't you call DR.. Withrow gentle
man?"
Certainly" said the aunt.
"Well, I've noticed that his shoes just
shine when he breaches, but once he
came to our house to tea and his shoes
looked great deal worse than mine do,
| for they had mud on the toes and the
| heels"
"Yes? Well, Harry, what you tell me
only proves what say to you. If
it was customary for gentlemen to ap-
pear in the parlor with ladies with soiled
boots, you would not have noticed DR..
Withrow's. The fact that you did notice
them shows that you did not expect him
to appear in that way. If the night was
rainy and muddy he should have worn
overshoes, which he could have left in
the vestibule before entering the parlor.
There are very few times when gentle.
man is excusable for appearing in that
way"
"But it's an awful bother to black
them every day, auntie," said Harry in
whining tone.
81 know it is some work." replied his
aunt. eft is bother, as you call it, for
auntie to keep herself in nice order, but
you would not like to see her come into
the parlor with soiled gown and her
hair uncombed, would your"
mo, would not. 1 like to have you
look nice always" rejoined Harry.
"And Auntie likes to see you look nice,
too," said his aunt. perhaps this is one
Of my hobbies, but do take the greatest
satisfaction in seeing gentlemen and
boys with we'll polished boots. We do
not care to initiate the English in all of
their ways, but some of them we would
do well to follow. I do not think You
would ever see an English boy in a well
bred family appear in the parlor, or in
the drawing room as they call it over
there, in soiled boots. Their boots are
not only clean, but we'll polished, and
another thing, they are very courteous to
ladies.
81 was reading the other day a story
about one of the French kings who was
90 particular about his toilette that when
the carriage was waiting at the door of
the prison to take him to his execution,
he detained it until his valet gave his
boots finishing touch. He would not
appear at the gallows even in any other
way than as gentleman. do not sup.
pose should have thought of my boots
at such time, but it only illustrates my
theory that no gentleman should consid-
or his toilet made until his boots are pol
ished."
just then Harry's mother Interrupted
the conversation by coming over to the
corner where it had been carried on in
quiet tones, and told Harry it was his
bed time. So good-nights were spoken
and he retired.
The next evening, as his aunt was seat
ed on the porch chatting with some
friends about the beautiful prospect be-
fore them, the shadows on the mountain
and on the clear lake, Harry came trip
ping along quietly behind her chair, and
leaning over whispered in her ear, "How
do you like my shoes, suntie?"
SWELL" said she, as she glanced at
them, shining with such lustre, "that is
fine, Harry, that goes right to my heart"
81 scraped off the mud this time" whis-
pered Harry, land did not forget the
heels"
"Don't step into the mud again TO-
night" said his aunt, sand see if the
folks will notice the improvement"
Soon after, as Harry went to his father
for something, he glanced at the boy and
said, "When did you get those new
shoes?"
Harry smiled all over as he replied
They're not new. I've had them all sum-
mer. They are just polished"
81 should think they were," said his
father. 81 shall have to give an extra
rub to mine, or you'll outshine me alto
gether. Why, they're fine and no mis-
take"
With these compliments Harry felt
quite set up and really entered the parlor
with ar extra amount of dignity and self
satisfaction. But he did not expect to
hear Mabel, his sister ten years older than
himself, exclaim, as she saw him,
Where are you going Harry? How
you are fixed up! Who blackened your
boots for you?"