Semi-weekly south Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1883-1889, 1888-07-17
CHARACTER IN FEET.
Reading LILO from tho Manag ement q
tho Pcdal Extromitlos.

Tho use OF feet is more charactcris-
tic than the feet themselves. or
course. there is some character even
In shape; there is the common and
careless flat foot, and the neat foot,
and tho vain foot, and the quick foot.
In l1crricks old poem the whole por-
trait of dainty white-slippered girl is
suggested by tho words:
Like mice beneath her pettlcoat,
Her little feet went In and out.
But the distinctions of character arc
not seen, really III 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, delinntly self
sufficient and despises ceremony, SO
when he smokes cigar he puts his
feet on tho mantle-piece out of the
way. Or he Is q country
pumpkin. painfully solf-conscious o
he stands on one foot and then on the
other and shifts them about, perplexed
what 10 do with them, rs ill-bred
folks. whom they sit idle and sociablc,
are pcrpexel by possessing n pair of
hands On the contrary the fop, whose
feet are clad without spot or speck,
and regardless Of Expense knows very
well what to do with them; they are
part of tho exhibition which is his con-
slant care. In general, it is sign of
vanity to thrust forward habitually q
neat foot when one is nj rest A con-
ceitcd man nurses n leg and admres
foot, which ho twitches and twirls
beneath his delighted eye. quite un-
consciously and in different manner
from tho fop, for the vain man thinks
of tho effect produced upon other peo-
pie. but the conceited man is satisfied
with himself, without any regard TO
the ordinary morials who may chance
10 be observing him.
Very different is the generous mind
of the phi ilanlhropisL 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 APP
pcarance. Except on state occasions.
he considers neAtness to be him
drance; every thing about him is large.
from his benevolent schemes down to
his well-worn shoes.
His stand is not alert but patient,
well SGT ON tho ground; he is ready |
and steady; ho waits to give what he
can, aud to do with he
can, and while ho thinks of weighty
personal details are forgot
ton. He may walk fat-footed in old
shoes; instcps and heels are infinitely
beneath his consideration. so his foot |
is not tho type that tho dancing mas
ter believes TO be tho one thing neces-
sary for n gentleman; but he has al
ready nattenel 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 life's
roads for crowds of feet of another
type. On the roads he has improved.
Tho hobnailed boots go more content
odly.
They Qhe ''hobnails") are strong
and rather defiant; for instance, they
nave defiant way of turning up.
They stand straight together. Just as
heir owners as n class stand shoulder
o shoulder. Their size and width arc
of possible bad kicks; but
heir bulk and hard-worn bend arc
llso suggcs tive of work done; and the
country could not thrive nor the COM
nunity exist without the feet that
wear hobnailed shoes.
The firm foot is the ordinary type
n men. A firm walk is n sign of self
ontrol as well as of power. When
he Shoes thickcn so obstinately that
he foot can not bend it, aud when the ,
walker does not care what noiso he I
makes. the firmness and power arc
cvcloping to degree that may in
onvenience weaker or more sensitive {
blk.
The weak foot Is more common.
'ho stand suggests knock kneed ,
ody and mind not strong enough TO
lake tho bost Of life-one might ,,
lmost say altogether knock-kneed
haraclcr that is always stepping
rocked, and going its way with un-
ortain gait : CasseIrs Family Maoa-
me