The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1895-05-03
The Long and the Short of "TriIby.
BY MRS. A. c. SHIPPERS.

BY MRS. A. G. SHIPPERS.
There was Taffy and Laird and Little Billee
And they all fell in love with Trilbee-bee- bee
They all fell in love with Trilbee-
mot my face, but my foot, is my fortune"
cried she-she-she;
"My foot is my fortune" cried she.
Du Murier may be said to have
discovered the foot, as we recall no
other work of fiction in which the
foot is first attacked with the des-
criptive battery.
! No wonder Trilby's foot is Great
ing Juror, when we read the glow
ing description of that shapely
organ, and then turn our eyes upon
our own pedal extremities, the con-
trast is simply appalling. Instead
of the smooth marble-like surface,
threaded over with delicate tracery
of full blooded blue veins, long
slender toes, pink at the ends, and
tipped off with pearly white round
ed and polished nails, what do we
see! Scaley corns, purple bunions,
web toes, scraggy nails and swelled
joints ad infnitum ad libitum. And
we feel it is a blessed thing that
only artists models, and gay and
festive bathers sat the shore' have
occasion or desire to exhibit their
feet devoid Of covering.
Yet, Du Murier insists that the
cultivated female foot is one of the
most fascinating objects on which
the eye of man can rest. BY cul-
tlvated feet he means those that
have never been "squeezed" and
distorted in leathern denominations
with high heels and narrow toes.
In Washington the "Trilby"
shoe is exhibited in all the show
windows of the fashionable shoe
dealers. 1t resembles in shape and
size the old fashioned article worn
by our plowmen grandfathers, but
it is made of pliable, yielding
material and only the sOles are of
leather; it is so wide at the toes and
utterly devoid of heels. Placards
conspicuOusly placed above these
articles of foot gear tell the doubt
ing gazer that Mrs. Cleveland and
all of the Cabinet ladies have
adopted the Trilby shoe. 1t is said
in literary circles that no one is
more astOniShed at the success of
the book than is the author him
self. And strangely, it is averred,
that the sale of the novel is nothing
in England to what it is here, and
there is no cheap edition (Heaven
forbid that there should be-
Why preachers and Sunday
school superintendent should feel
called upon to read. discuss and
quarrel over this particular novel,
| cannot fathom. Yet if reports
are to be credited, they are doing
so, to an astonishing extent. In
Reading, Pa, it is said, or rather
printed, that it caused a tremendous
row in one of the largest and most
fashionable congregations in that
ancient city. The S. S. Superin-
tendent placed it in the library from
whence it was taken by the preach
er's daughter. Thus it was brought
to the notice of the preacher, who
read it, just to see if it was fit to
read. The next Sabbath he
preached a sermon in which he de-
nounced Du Murier's poor heroine,
III unmeaSured terms, as a washer
woman and product of the Stun,
etc. The leading members of the
church rallied to the rescue, sus-
tanned Trilby and the S. S. Super
intendent, and deposed the over
fasitidious pastor, who is now hunt
ing a new theological pasture, and
the congregation is hunting a
minister, who, when he reads
debatable books will have sense
enough to keep it to himself.
The stupid ass who puts Trilby
in Sunday school library ought to
be taken out and ducked in the
nearest horse pond. 1t is not to be