Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1895-04-09

Toes and Insteps-The Zig Toe Said to
Signify a Great Deal-The Foot of Abra-
ham Lincoln.
There is character in feet. In spite of
shoes that compress and distort and boots
which cause bunions to rise like mountain
chains there is still enough of the aborig-
inal human foot left for the anatomist to
read disposition and the temperament in
every line of it. Everybody knows that
from the outline Of the hand, in nine cases
out of ten, trained observer can tell what
manner Of man bears it. The foot is the
lower hand. 1t conforms in its structure
with that of the hand. The toes are short
ened digits. Tapering fingers and a grace
fully modelled hand show good breeding
and innate refinement. The hand of
man of artistic temperament is slender,
and the fingers are long and taperng
Feet incased in patent feathers, with
Picadilly toes, do not get much of chance
to show anything about the character of
their owner. After they have been kept
in such unyielding, enameied collins for a
few years there isn't really flesh and
blood foot there any more. There's cal
loused, bumpy, gnarled and warped sort
of a thing there which shows no charac-
teristics except perhaps lack of common
sense in the owner But there are men
and women whose feet have the semblance
of the shape they had when they romped
around the nurseries before the days of
marrow toes and French heels.
All the character cannot be obliterated
from the lines of the human foot even in
these degenerate days.
Modern feet are not pretty as general
thing. Most of them are positively ugly
Did you ever see an uglier member than
that represented in a drawing of Abra-
ham Lincolns foot which is exhibited by
a Broadway shoe dealer? From the pic
ture you would think that you were look
ing at the gnarled and distorted taproot
Of an oak Tho most noticeable thing
about that foot is the broad firm big toe
Such a toe shows strength of character,
frmness and executive ability. A weak
big toe would point inward. This toe was
planted firmly and squarely. 1t curlcd up
little toward the end too. These re-
trousse toes show independence ana deter
mination. There arc persons who have
noses formed that way, too, and you know
what kind of dispositions they have.
Some anatomists say that every toe
should be in q direct line with the foot
It's hard to Judge foot in that plumb
line and spirit level way
The man who toes we'll out as no walks
and steps squarely upon the bail of his
foot has, as general thing, those assertive
big toes.
There's sell assertion and go in the big
toe. it ought to be strong and broad. 1t
does more work than the rest. 1t has
more character.
Some persons have short, square toes, all
about the same length, and an assertiye
big toe that looks as though it was ark.
ious to got out and look tho world square
ly in the face. They are the practical men
and women. They look at everything
from the standpoint of hard, common
sense. Their insteps are low. Their heels
are broad, and they set them down in a
way which gives the impression that the
owners know exactly what they are talk
ing about They are the men and women
who make up their minds to have a thing
and invariably get it. Those are the feet
which are Oftenest stamped, and tho
stamping, If tho foot belongs to woman,
is accompanied by toss of tho head. It's
foolish man who does not recognize the
coming down Of such foot
There poetry, imagination and roman
ticism in feet, Men and women Of artis-
tic temperament have long, slender toes
and high, arched instcps. The second toe
OF person of artistic temperament is
longer than the other toes. The owners
OF such toes almost always have inclina-
tlon to music, art and poetry. The long
second toe is the sign of the artist, the
sculptor and the poet. 1t shows senti-
montalism and romance. Such a toe it
may be said, is the index of an artistic
sense. 1t is well il such member has in
the great too "a strong firm noighbor. The
long second too means dreamincss and
idoalism. The firm big toe means practi
cal sense 1t is well to have both.
In tho perfect foot the little toe curves
trihe inward. You will see that in classic
sculpture II the small toe has an upward
arch, it shows a warm, sunshiny, passion
ate nature. Those with the Short stubby
toes and the feet which they stamp so de-
csively at times often have that upward
curve to the little toe. Artists and stu
dents of podagology say that this peculiar
ity is particularly noticeable in tho feet of
women in southern chimes.
One of the surest signs of refinement
and good breeding is the high, archcd in
step. 1t shows long line of cultured an
ccstors. 1t is patrician. 1t marked the
feet Of sandalcd and Roman mobiles 1t has
been seen in the courts of Europe for CEN
turtles. It~is seen in New York drawing
rooms today.
1t is no wonder that women have for
centuries sought to increase the natural
arch of the foot It's more than vanity
which induces woman to wear French
heels. Still there is not much use in try
ing to affect high instcp. The raising of
the arch by means of the French heel il
too transparent ruse New York Her
aid.