The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1891-12-28

John Bull had similar end IN view is nos
clear. but certainly nothing more effective
Tor such purpose was ever oontrfvsd than
these clogs An early writer says OF
them; There is one thing so common ia
Venice that no woman whatsoever goeth
without IL. either in her house or abroad-a
thing made OF wood and covered with
leather OF sundry colnrs. some with white,
some red. some yellow. Il is called a
chapiney, which they wesr under their
shoes. Many Of these are curiously painted !;
some Of them have also seen fairly gilt.
There are many Of these chapineys Of a
great hight, even half yard high, which
maketh many of their women that are very
short seem much taller than the tall est
women We have in England. All their gen.
tieWomen and most OF their wives and
widows that are Of any wealth are assisted
and supported by men or women when
they walk abroad TO the end that they might
not fall. They are borne up most commonly
oy the left arm, otherwise they might
quickly take a falln
Fancy the professional ana business
woman OF this century minoing along upon
such stills. Surely we owe much TO that
daughter Of Doge Domenico Contarini who
smanctpated herself and her sisters from so
barbarous fashion.
The high-heeled shoe worn by Catherine
de Medlcis Is only very little better, how
ever. The only authentic one in existence
Is of white leather, heightened at the ends,
which are square, WITH high conical heel,
united to the toe by a second sole, which IT,
soft and lined with felt, In order that the
step OF the wearer may be noiseless aud
stealthy. Tho form Is that of the modern
French shoe greatly exaggerated.
At the end of the sixteenth century
women wore wooden shoes cnriously carved
or gilded and painted with roses or feur-de-
Its, fashion which continued to the time
OF Louis NY. In the seventeenth and
eighteenth centuries shoes were made I'm
every variety that fashion could suggest
square toes and pointed. laced and clogged,
with bows of ribbon and rosettes OF every
color. with ends like buttsrfiies' wings, or
others resembling the sails Of a windmill
Every one at court wore red heels and the
richest textures OF silk. velvet, gold and ST.
yer brocade were employed In the making
Of these aristocratic shoes
IL seems long leap from such glories and
frtvoiites of apparel to the eminently prac-
teal shoes In which nineteenth century wo-
men walk abroad Fortunately for our
artistic reputation, IL does not rest solely
upon those low-heeled, square-toed black
leather articles. II We do not expeud
fortunes upon a single pair of jeweled
slippers like some OF the fair famous women
who lived long ago, we at least bad a
greater variety Of footgear In our ward
robes than ever they did
At lsast eleven pairs OF shoes Of varying
sorts and conditions arc demanded by the
girl OF the period. Beside her bed, near
neighbors to her dressing gown thrown
carelessly across 10, must rest a pair Of
warm knitted shoes In delicate colors with
flexible soles cozily lined with lambs wool.
Not far away are the little hoelless slippers
which one associates chiefly with the shut
ding old man dear 20 all play writers. This
time. however, they are of soft ooze leather
or morocco and In them the young woman
makes her toilet. To breakfast she will
doubtless wear a pair of pretty slippers
pointed of toe, high of heel, sometimes
severely bound about with ribbon, sometimes
graced with rosettes, curious. hand
wrought silver buckles. For street wear
there will be at least two pairs Of heavy
shoes, Ia order that one may give the other
the salutary rest that no substance needs
and appreciates 80 much as leather. A
third, lighter street boot, she probably re-
serves for arriage wear. Among the
evening shoes there will be some patent
leather ties and some dancing shoes that
match to nicely a favortte ball dress
Bath shoes, tennis shoes, gymnasium shoes
these complete the list OF bare necessities
and leave room for legions of luxuries in
the way of dainty feathers, artistically cut.
Prevailing fashions In shoes tend more
and more to sensible models. The tales our
grandmothers tell OF promenading city
streets in February In paper-soled SAITH
slippers fall upon Rstonished ears In this
generation of gums and "goloshes.n
In the matter Of dress shoes, and indeed
house shoes of all kinds, there Is considerable
license, but 1t ia 10 the credit OF American
women that the high-heeled, pointed toed
abomination so common upon the street five
fa 80 L.
square comfort that u neither elegant in It's
outlines nor striking Ia tts effect, but ID is
the only shoe In which q woman Dan walk
eastly and 1t the same time keep her own
feet the well-shaped, symmetrical members
with which nature originally provided her.
Dongola, straight and pebble goat, kan
CARGO and cloth, vertously combined with
lighter aud more ornamental leather, retain
their popularity as foundations for praoti-
cal shoes. Shoemakers have long promised
suffering womankind light calf shoe that
can be polished like MANS" but as yet
the gentler sex enjoys immunity from the
highEaymanlike approaches o. bootblacks.
Taking into consideration the sobrfety Of
the average woman's street shoes 1t Is not
surprising that, given an opportunity, she
launches Into all sorts Of follies in the even
ing; that she waltzes Ia Louis Quinze, that
she lounges among her divan pillows Ia
Juliet: that she wears wicked red shoes at
seasons when she knows they will
be effective. and that she causes
her shoemskers an unconsoionable
amount Of trouble matching scraps
of dress goods to scraps Of suede leather on
every possible occasion. All styles Of all
eras. all materials, and the inherited skill Of
many generations of artisans are combined
to produce shoes fit for the disdainful feet
of the end-of-the- century American woman.
The Princess Cinderella's crystal slipper Is
no longer marvel.