The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1891-12-19
VICTIMS OF VANITY.
Mon Who Are Enslaved by a
Lovo of Dress.
Some Pcculiaritles of Clothing Which
Arc an Index OF ChsrRctcr-How
tho Modest Man Attircs
Himself

same halter and shoemaker, and vet
the results will be as utterly different
rs though the two were born in remote
continents and century apart, says
Kato Fields Washington.
There is tho man whose neclStie or
scarf strap always crawls up his collar
and shows above his coat; no matter
how much or how little he pays for his
neclswear, it always insists upon MAX
ing itself painfully conspicuous. This
person will invariably be found socially
obtuse and lacking in quick perceptive
qualities. have seen many a learned
chemist, many profound Greek
scholar, whose necktie was always
crawling up his collar, but never n
boolmaker, bunco steerer, smart
drummer, q comedian or n caricaturist.
never saw an earnest worker or q
man who had real and serious duties
to perform who wore hat too small
for him.
Many great lawyers and statesmen,
cranky but shrewd spectators, popular
preachers and history-mals ing generals
and editors wear hats too large for them
sometimes SO large that they act as
cxtiuguishers and are stopped in their
downward course only by the projec-
ton of the cars; but / never saw one
who wore n hat too small, perched upon
the top of his head. Indeed, might as
sert rs a positive and invariable fact
that, save in cases of dire necessity,
such as shipwrcclis or utter and hope
less poverty, the man who wears hat
too small for him is silly, frivolous,
conceited creature, with no serious
ideas on any subject and only tho most
1ippant and shallow views of life and
its obligations. Even among tramps
and vagabonds the fellow with tho
''dinlSy" derby balanced upon his mop
of unkcmpt hair is the most hopeless
wreck among his class; while there is
always CLEAN of intelligence, Il spark
of hope, in the tramp whose hat is too
large for him.
The man who wears slope-shoul-
dered coat when the resources of tho
sartorian profession are at his com
mand. and who is not driven by neces-
sity into any garments that fate may
happen to send, is never n vigorous,
masculine creature. He may be large
and strong, he may even be an athlete,
but the manly habit of mind is never
his. OF course, he will seldom be found
~ oIdi Va pug SlnQ lC Illtty OlLCn
have n most delicate and refined taste
in matters of art; his manners may be
the perfection of punctilious courtesy;
but he will never put down a mutiny,
or save anyone from drowning, or res
cue maidens or infants from burning
buildings.
Large, fat shoes are always called
sensible" Doubtless they are so.
Yet no alert, sharp and clever person,
no ono intellectually or physically wide
awake or ''snappy," wears large.
fiat shoe. You may say that the feet
must regulate the size and form of the
shoe, but you are wrong; the man who
has broad, fiat feet made them SO by
his habit of mind. Most quiet, thought
full persons have large, fat feet. Great
hearted, big men, whom women either
bcfool or pet and take care of, are men
with large, fiat feet. The small-footed
man neither inspires lasting and solid
affection nor is he, on the other hand,
made the victim of shrewd and heart
less women.
A man makes his own feet. Just re-
member how natty and small your feet
were when you went counting Amelia
or Clara, and how splay they are now
in your easy slippers as you sit before
Mrs. Amelia or Mrs. Clara at the break
fast table, surrounded by little Tommy,
little Amelia and the rest of the young
brood. You don't care fig now what
mum bercd shoes you wear, as long as
your corns don't trouble you. Conse-
quently you go stopping through life in
shoes made upon n No. common
sense" last, and arc ready to see the
shoemaker and 60 him one better if
You feel little pressure anywhere.
Well. some men were born in the con-
dition of mind which timo and domes-
ITCHY have brought to you, and such
men have big feet all their lives.
Then there are certain collars and
certain ncclzties which indicate the
character of the wcarer as accurately
as the facial angle or the thickness of
the lips. The man who wears turn
down collar of particular sort, with
made-up bow fastened by n loop Of
elastic to his collar button, is never
vain or anxious to attract attention.
This style of ncclkwear is positive bid
for modest obscurity, and says as plain
ly words; 81 dress simply to clothe my
nakedncss and not to ndorn my person.
and | hold in contempt all who view
clothing from any other standpoint"
Such n person would rather tie q strip
of red flannel about the throat, pin his
coat together across his chest or wear
trousers all tattered and torn than be
seen abroad in one of those cheap and
aashy scarfs which vulgarity delights
In. He would rather spend q month in
jail than wear choker collar and a red
necktic.