The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1892-08-07
CARRIS CARELESS
Tells Why Men throw Themselves at
Her Feet.

ISIS w ny h0h lLOW 1nS1nsSlN0S Gb
Her Feet.
(COhDri1htJ
New YORK, Aug. eff there is one
thing moro than any other upon which the
American woman is entitled to pride her
self it is her foot. Proporti1nstsly small to
the person, we'll arohed, and with pretty
little pink-naile1 toes, 1t fully matches in
shapeliness the perfectly formed feet of the
Spanards. the Poles, the Russians and the
French, and is immeasurably superior TO
everything of the kind in England. Ger-
many Scandinavia and Italy. This being
the case, why is it that we alone OF all the
women of the universe should conceal, as il 1t
were something hideous aud improper, our
ankles and our feet? The question
is all the more timely, as
| the sea-barhing season is in full swing just
no n, not only in the United States, but also
i'll every maritime country OF Europe. In
| France, Great Britain, at San Sebastian in
| Spain, on the Italian seasnore, on the coasts
of Germany, Scandinavia, Holland and
Belgium, even the most prudish women, AS
| well as those who have the Creates preten-
| sions to elegance, invariably battle IN the
sea in costumes that leave the limbs bare
| from the knee downward. No one ever
| dreams of donning pair of stockings for
| especially in the northern portions OF
Europe, who might do so with advantage,
| and we're woman TO appear on
the beach Of Trouville thus arrayed,
| she would immediately be set down as
| afflicted with soma malady of the skin. In
the shrimping and prawniDg parties whoa
are all the vogue from Deauville and Dieppe
| all along the nor hern coast Of Europe to
! the German seaside resort of Norderney,
the ladies, both young and old, show no
| hesitation in removing their shoes and
stockings and barring their legs to the
| knee, in order to tramp along in che water,
| exploring the various corners and crevices
| of the rocks in search of the tiny crawflsh.
| It is considered perfectly natural and
proper, there is not the slightest suspicion
| OF indecency, and no one ever dreams of
making any objection thereto.
Here in the United States, however,
| where we have pretty ankles and feet. we
| are forced to conceal them, and were any of
US TO venture on the beach at any of the
| popular seaside resorts with our limbs bare
! from the knee downward, an outcry would
| be raised against Us on the score of injured
morality. We should be assailed as guilty
| of grave improperly, and expose ourselves
| to be held up. not alone in conversation, but
| also in print as persons who have offended
| public decency and conventionality
| People with whom l have recently been
| discussing the subject, claim that tho strict
| ideas which prevail bore with regard to
| bare ankles and feet, constitute a remnant
Of the old sumptuary laws and notions of
| our puritanicel forefathers. That Is all
| very well. But what, if you please, would
| these passengers OF the Meyfiower have
said to the present style Of decolletage.
| Surely there is less improperly about dis
| playing the feet and legs as far as the knee
| than in furnishing such a very generous aud
liberal exhibition of bust as is TO be seen in
the boxes on any good night Of the New
| York opera season.
A shapely ankle is quite as attractive in its
way as well-formed shoulders, and there is
| more grace in a pretty foot, untrammeled
| by any covering than in bare neck, ay,
| and l may add back. Nor is there only
| grace in woman's foot; there is expression
| as well. There is the capricious foot, the
| coquettish foot, the nervous foot, the pie
bian foot, the aristocratio foot, the phleg-
matte foot the short-tempered foot, the
| sensual foot and the saucy foot.
| A womans character, nay, even her most
secret thoughts, may often be read by the
| movement of the toes far more so, in fact
than by the action of the hands. For,
| whereas we have almost entire control over
| the play and muscular movement of the
hands, we have little mastery over the mo-
| ton of our toes. Men know this, or to
| speak more correctly, used to know this in
! olden times. and their anxiety to be ''at our
| feet" may be ascribed, in a certain measure
| to their hope that we might be betrayed
| into giving unawares some pedal indication
of the real character OF our sentiments
| toward them. The phrase, "at our
| feet" is evidently one which dates from au-
| Gent times, when women wore neither shoes
| nor stockings, but merely dainty thin san
| dals. there was some reason for being at
our feet then, to-day there is none. OF
| course | am perfectly aware that IL is i'm
| possible for US to revert Co sandals, and to
| dispense with hosiery and shoes, 50 far as
/ city wear is concerned. But could we not
be permitted the privilege Of dofing shoes
and stockings when bathing In the sea- We
should enjoy it, and l am quite certain that
| the masculine sex will not object.
! Indeed, there is nothing that fascinates
man so much as a pretty foot. l used to
| know an eccentric old gentleman who used
to take perfect delight in hunting for them
| found a pair that satisfied bis aesthetic taste
| he would follow them as long as he could
no matter if the owner were old or young,
| ugly or beautiful, clad in silks or dressed Ia
| rags. And If perchance the boot OF
| shoe were down at the SOLE the
old gentleman would come for
ward and humbly crave permission TO
| present the foot in question with covering
| worthy OF its beauty. Sometimes the offer
was accepted. The shoes were duly tried on.
| bought and then paid for by bin. He de-
| sired no thanks, no acknowledgement for
/ his courtesy, but would retire with low
| bow 70 the newly shod foot. The Prince Of
/ Wales loves a pretty foot, aud one OF the
aueerest objects on his writing table at
/ Marlborough house Is the sxquisitely pro-
portioned aud maryelousiy preserved foot
/ Of an Egyptian princoas-in a mummided
| state. CAEEfE CARELEsG.