The Grenada gazette. (Grenada, Miss.) 1885-18??, 1888-06-16
cnAaAcrea ~ feeT.


0ssAiag Las from the nassgsosst ct
ths Fs1a1 Extssaitiss.
Tho uss u feet Is moro ~characteris-
tic than the feet themselves OF
course. there 10 some character even
In shape; there Is the common and
careless, fat foot and the neat foot
and the vain foot and the Quick foot.
In Herrick's old poem the whole por.
trait Of . dainty white-slippsred gitiis
suggested By the words:
Like mice beneath her pettseosA
Her little feet vert II , out
Bat the distinctions Of character are
not seen, really. in the feet themselves
but in what the owner does with them.
Sometimes it is significant that their
owner does not know what to do with
them. He is vulgsrIy. defantly SELF
sufficient and despises ceremony. 80
when he smokes = cigar he puts his
feet on the mantle-piece. out Of the
way. Or be country
pumpkin. painfully Unconscious. %
he stands on one foot and then on the
other and shifts them about. perplexed
what 10 do with them. a. Ill bred
folks. when they sit idle and sociable,
are perplexel By possessing a pair Of
hands On the contrary The Top. whose
feet are clad without spot or speck
and regardless Of expense. knows very
well what 70 do with them; they are
part Of the exhibition which is his con-
slant car In general. it is . sign Of
vanity to thrust forward habituaIly .
neat foot when n is at rest A con-
ceiIed man nurses a leg and admires
a foot. which he witches and twirls
beneath his delighted eye. quite IN
consciously and in a different manner
from the TOP, for the vain man thinks
Of the effect produced upon other peo-
pie. but the conceited man is satisfied
with himself. without any regard to
the ordinary mortals who may chance
10 be observing him.
vrry diff rent is the generous mind
Of the philanthropis,. who thinks
constantly OF the rest OF the world.
and not Of himself There is nothing
cramped about any OF his ideas or Of
his possessions He forgets such small
matters as fashion and details Of ap.
pearanee. Except on state occasions
he considers nes.ness to be a him
drance; every thing abont him is large,
from his benevolent scheule down to
his we'll worn shoes.
His stand is not alert. but patient,
well set on the ground; he is ready
and steady; he waits to give what he
can. and to do with he
can. and while lie thinks Of weighty
matters. personal details are forgot
ten. He may walk fiat-footed in old
shoes; insteps and heels are Infinitely
beneath his consideration. so his foot
is not the type that the dancing a
Ter believes to be the one thing neces-
sary for a gentleman; but he has ale
ready flattenei injustice under his
feet. and the horror of the dancing
master shall never reach his ears.
This philanihropic man has done q
great deal to widen and smooth lies
roads for crowds Of feet Of another
type On the roads he has improved.
the liobnailed boots 60 more content.
edly.
They (the 'ihobnails') are strong
and rather lefa II; for instance. they
have a defialt way Of turning up.
They stand straight together. just AS
their owners MS n class stand shoulder
to sIonlder. Their sig and width are
suggestive Of possible bad kicks; but
their bulk and hard-worn bend are
suggestive Of work done; and the
country could not thrive nor the COM
exist without the feet that
wear hobnailed SHOES.
The firm foot is the ordinary type
In men. A firm walk is a sign Of self.
control as we'll as Of power. When
The shoes thicken SO ob>tina'ely that
The foot IA not bend il. AID when the.
does not care what noise he
the tirmness and power arc
developing to a degree that may in
weaker or more sensitive
folk.
The weak foot Is more common.
The stand suggests a knock. kne cd
body and q mind no strong enough to
make the best Of life-one might
almost say altogether knock.knecd
character that is always stepping
crooked. and going its way with un-
gail. = CdsselFs Family Maya