The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1900-06-17
HIS BOOTS CHANGED MS CAREER.
A Sontherner whose Success in Life Hinged
on HIS Substantial footgear.


Talk about your two good suits Of clothes"
said the son of a well-known Confederate army
officer. In my young days shoes, one pair,
was the badge Of the plutocrat. i came OF O
large family. eight sons, and when things wTe
going particularly well one Of US had a pair Of
shoes. l was the youngest. so that II never
was l. Now. you would be surprised to
know the effect, mental, moral and physical,
that shoes have on a man. l consider that my
career. aye, and my character. hinge upon the
possession OF a pair. When l went to school
IN Virginia thirty years ago. Of course / was
barefooted. / was a quiet youth. strong for
my age, but phleRmatc and would put UP with
a lot rather than get into a fight.
My particular enemy In the school was an
impudent and conceited boy. somewhat older
than myself. He was the son Of our family
doctor, an only son, and the proud possessor
Of a pair Of shoes. shoes Of the old country
type. with thick soles adorned with plenty Of
steel. You see we were not utterly poverty
stricken. We had a family doctor. You
couldn't expect a Southern gentleman to be
able for stand for a family doctor and shoes
for his family at one and the same time My
enemy was forever tormenting me. but / en-
dured it silently for a lona time. At last one
GUY my pdlltlCt Woulu cuuuTS " Ho lOuktI.
! fell upon him and a sanguinary conflict en-
sued. We fought for an hour or more. We
fought like windmills in a hurricane. 1t is true
We did not often hit one another. We were
usually too close or too far of. but We
smote everything in sight. trees, walls. and
particularly the air. Tweedledum and Tweed
ledee were not a marker to us. We managed
to blnckcn each others eyes and bleed each
-.l-.', ,.oeog obi.py thrn,,,b tho oa.,,. -
our heads,
Finally, however, my enemy bethought
him Of his superior armament. He drew back
and delivered upon my unfortunate bare
shanks a kick of cruel force and precision.
can feel to-day the impact Of that mass OF
leather aud steel. 1t was agony. | surrend-
cred Internationally. Now began a period
of the most heartrending humiliation and
misery, Wherever went that wrstched
his errands. He thwarted me in all my under
takinrs. lie stood on his steel and leather
between me and the smallest taste Of enjoy
ment.
There was n girl, a sweet little blue-eyed
thing of twelve summers. my first love who
was To me az all the world. including tho village
under the trees near the village school. NTH
her ! would wax gallant and eloquent. Yankees
hair of her head should be disturbed. /
wished her to believe me a Paul Jones and a
Stoncwall JaNk on in embryo. only with a
''""JI' believe / should have succeeded but for
that horrld boy with his shoes. One day when I
was holding forth to my lady love in an espe-
cially lofty, strain, the wretch came sannterlng
lighted up with malicious Joy. lie made
Get out he said in tones Of peremptory
contempt. j want 70 talk 70 Della
For a moment, AS. the spirit of jackson and
Jones burnt bright in my breast. | WINS for
giving oa',le. By ~ he psrely raised his
leather, The IRE Of my yalCr wa quenchei. I
turned one last despairing glance on Della,
who wa laughing, and SUNK away. The
knees knocked together.
But / iwore vengeance, and all things
come to III" man Who know, how TO walt.
That winter my father. carried through sue
whole family was shod, Ny. own foojtsear
was especially magnificent. No shoes. mind
even unto the knee. Homer was all right
wnen he made the well-GIieyed Achgans the
victor 10: Mn 9rom Sn ,Ga s,s and I ,5 met. j lie ~, was
pala when his eye fell upon my leather -clad
shank. He would have DECLINED combat
But burning with the wrongs had suffered |
treat, The BATH" Vas short and fierce. |
sccrnod 70 Use my fent, but ] was now rrool
AGAINST nj mnl'sn onslaught. took his kicks
asts. Finally | got him Town and chokad him
until ! was weary, But n he arose, humble,
bruised and trembling. | teiibcrntcIy landed
my armed feet on each Of his shins, and With a
howl Of agony he turned TO Zee. | del vrred
one more kick, the mos; satisfactory OF ali,
on Natures appointed kicking place.
My fame reached DeliA's ears. and she was
MI smile, when she received me. She had
understood. she said. all along and her heart
had BLEED ,or mo, | had my doubts, but the
heart Of youth Ia n wax in a maiden's hands.
shortly after my enemy approached | called TO
him sweatly and he came tramblinglv.
why don't you toll me 10 Get out?' I asked
pleasantly. Swingtnc my foot the while, and
the litter Of Della sent the hot blood OF rrlde
and JOY cour sing through nv veins. What
became Of Della | don't rerxrmbcr. But upon
those boots turned nv career. Ny shyiess
and phlegn left me. became energetic and
confident. succeeded in study and spOrt.
after ward became captain Of my college foot
ball team. My subsequent career has been
one Of effort crowned with success.'