St. Landry democrat., 1888-06-09
CHARACTER IN FEET
/ Reading Life from the Management Of
the Pedal Extremities

/ FSeading Life from the Management Of
| the Pedal Extremities.
The use OF feet is more characteris-
tic than the feet themselves. or
| course. there is some character even
in shape; there is the common and
careless fiat foot, and the neat foot
and the vain foot, and the Quick foot.
In Herrick's old poem the whole Dor
trait of a dainty white-slippered GIRLS
suggested by the words:
Like mice beneath her pettcoat.
Her little feet went in and out
Bat the dlstin ctlons 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 vulgarly, defiantly self
sufficient and despises ceremony, so
when he smokes cigar he puts his
feet on the mantle-piece, out of the
way. Or he IS country
pumpkin, painfully self-conscious, 50
he stands on one foot and then on the
other and shifts them about, perplexed
what to do with them, as Inbred
folks, when they sit idle and sociable,
are perplexea by possessing pair Of
hands. On the contrary the fop, whose
feet are clad without spot or speck,
ana regardless of expense, knows very
We'll what to do with them; they are
part of the exhibition which is his con-
slant care. In general, it is sign of
vanity to thrust forward habitually a
neat foot when one is at rest. A con-
celted man nurses a leg and admires
a foot, which he twitches and twirls
beneath his delighted eye, quite UNI
consciously and in a different manner
from the fop, 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 ordinar mortals who may chance
10 be observing him.
Very different is the generous mind
OF the philanthropist. 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-
pearance. Except on state occasions,
he considers neatness to be him
drance; every thing about him is large,
from his benevolent schemes down to
his we'll worn shoes.
His stand is not alert. but patient,
we'll set on the ground; he is ready
and steady; he waits to give what he
can. and to do with he
can. and while he thinks of weighty
personal details are forgot
ten. He may walk hat-footed in old
shoes; insteps and heels are infinitely
beneath his considerations so his foot
is not the type that the dancing mas
ter believes to be the one thing neces-
sary for gentleman; but he has al
ready fattened injustice under his
feet, and the horror of the, dancing
master shall never reach his ears.
This philanthropic man has done
great deal to widen and smooth LIES
roads for crowds of feet of another
ype. On the roads he has improved,
he hobnailed boots go more content
IDLY.
They (the ''hobnails') are strong
and rather defiant; for instance, they
lave a defiant way of turning up.
They stand straight together, just as
heir owners as class stand shoulder
o shoulder Their siz, and width are
of possible bad kicks; but
heir bulk and hard-worn bend are
llso suggestive of work done; and the
country could not thrive nor the COM
nunity exist without the feet that
year hobnailed shoes
The firm foot is the ordinary type
n men. A firm walk is sign of self
ontrol as we'll as of power. When
he shoes thicken so obstinaiely that
lie foot can not bend it, and when the
walker does not care what noise he
makes. the firmness and power are
eveloping to a degree that may in
weaker or more sensitive
DIX.
The weak foot IS more common.
he stand suggests knock kneed
ody and a mind not strong enough to
lake the best of life-one might
lmost say altogether knock-kneed
haracter that is always stepping
rocked, and going its way with UNI
ertain gait. CasseH's Family Maya
me.