New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1900-09-22
HER TRIALS ABROAD.
SHE LEFT AMERICA WEARING NO. rs AND
Returned N No. rs

Tt IS very pleasant 10 travel around with ones
mother and two sisters. Of course" said South
ern girl just returned from a long stay abroad,
but IL has its drawbacks, too. Something always
happens 10 one or another Of them 70 kill ones
sentimental anticioations
For Instance, II any che asked What IS
your strongest recollection Of beautiful Como. that
lovely land OF romance% should instantly have 20
reply Edith's shoes There was a history at
tsched 10 those shoes. They represented the de-
cline OF pride and the climax OF trouble. You
know, Edith's feet are more than fair specimen
OF our American pedal extremities, and the
women from the States have such a reputation
abroad for small feet Edith's slender. high arched
No. IS had been the anticipated trump card Of
party.
In London, however the trouble began 10 brew.
The normal footed members OF our family, with
that beautiful law OF compensation which never
fails. travelled around increasingly with serene
5oynent, while poor Edith, cOnsiguing all former
vanites n the shape OF small shoes TO the bottom
OF her trunk, hobbled around in a pair OF English
No. 4s-shoes Of that hopelessy hIdeous style
which only the English nation can produce, and
which reduces the highest tnstep TO the appear
snce OF soft pancake.
Now, although we regretted the disappearance
OF those aristocratic American feet, we mentally
upheld Edith in her English No. 4s-in which. by
the way, her No 2 feet adjusted themselves with
an almost alarming rapidity. This was only the
beginning Of the trouble! She struggled on with
Spartan fortttude, when reached Paris
nOUnced IL defiant tones her intention OF pUrchas-
ing g still larger slze-No as
We awaited results with sympathetic interest,
mingled with foreboding fears There seemed TO
be e pheuouenaIIy elastic quality about those feet
OF hers They little too swell even for gay
Paree.' one Of U remarked, the first trial we
gathered around IN solemn conclave only TO see
once, but, alas! no longer No. Is.
sun no. relief came. The groans and lauentas-
Of the ridiculous Paraphrasing Of great oaks from
corns grow Il was serious matter. We couldn't
lend her our feet. and no power earth but abso-
Lutte incapaciry would have held her back from our
daily tours She was afraid OF missing some
thing that she would have staggered along on
were victousIv aurg aside and with desperation
born Of madness, our long suffering Cinderella de-
she had 10 buy No. Isl The rest of US stood
aghast but 1t was no idle threat. The purchase OF
her No IS was attended by a funny incident
Entering little shop II Geneva with the intention
Of explaining 70 the grtmacing shopkeeper that
she wanted pair OF very large shoes for her very
Good sir my feets IS sick The result Of her visit
70 this shop was pair OF enormous heelless brown
along brought q blush Of shame 70 our cheeks. We
sympathy. We besought in vain, however, for
Cinderella I'VE never called her anything eIse)
tests-au she wanted was solid comfort
Well we hoped the worst was over ard tried - to
lien we reached Como the madness again seized
her Leaving US one morning and betaking herself
20 little shop by, she returned with pair OF
low cut No Is on her feet. These for hideOusness
Of shape and size exceeded dtrest expectations,
and. 10 add 70 our misery, we saw they were made
Q sntedilUVian pruneua laced with ribbon!
The appearance OF her feet at this period re-
duced Us 70 9 state Of rebellious resentment, but
she having found relief at last, Eupremely
happy and welded 10 her prunellas. We drew lots
10 see who should be her OUpaniOu the fash
ionabIe walks and drives, and the other OF
Us was always crying, DO. for heavens sake, keep
your pruuelas under your skirts"
"One haunting fear stu beset US. Should the
worst come to the worst. there always the
possibility that she might be reduced 10 the last
resort OF wrapping her feet in old bits Of carpet,
as the old darttes home still do during heavy
SHOWS. This last link f the endless chain was
SHARED Us however. We had nothing
dread after the Como purchase. II was a study in
footgear TO spread before the gradual stages OF
Cinderella's shoe fever beginning with her
dainty No Is and winding up with those brutal
bla elk PruaelIa No Is. Now that we are home II is
rather funny TO think but il took all the beauty
Of Como from nc, and when any one speaks Of the
glorious blue lake there rises instead before my
vision those low cut pruneIlas."