Evening capital. (Annapolis, Md.) 1884-1910, 1900-01-12
HOW TO WEAR SHOES
CHARACTER LEARNED BY MEANS
oE The FooTGEAR.
This Refers to Women But II Will No
Doubt Apply to Men AS WeII-The
Man Who is Patiently Looking for
The Ideal Girl.

1T gets me-" said the man, ito know
why women and girls are not more
particular about the way they dress
their feet If they knew how much
people noticed them, they would take
more pains in buying their shoes than
they do in buying their gowns. Every
one knows that the man is more par
ucular about the way he keeps his
boots and shoes than a woman. AS
for me, the woman / marry must have
pretty, well-dressed feet. have new
er found any one yet who came up to
my standard OF excellence, and that's
why I'm not married, suppose.
Il did think had found her once. L
fell in love with one foot. That was
where | made the mistake. II was
some kind of an art exhibition. There
was a screen at the door from one
room to another, which was a few
steps higher. and happening to look
across the room, | saw below that
screen the daintiest, most ladylike-
looking foot, slender and delicate and
refined, and wearing just the right
kind of a shoe for that occasion-not
a great heavy walking boot, and not
a dancing shoe, but just right. OF
course, you don't expect me to tell you
just what it was. ! am not in the shoe
business, but know when a girl wears
a shoe that is in good taste.
This foot that / fell in love with
/ saw just for an instant as the wom-
an to whom it belonged drew it up to
the other step and the screen hid her
so that hadn't the slightest idea who
she was. young or old, hideous or
beautiful But / made up my mind
| would find out. But you know how
it is in room filed with people-it is
not always easy to get across it, es-
pecially If all your friends are there.
BY the time l reached the screen /
almost gave up my foot for lost. You
can't see a woman's foot in these long
skirts she wears unless she is on the
street. | suppose my divinity must
have raised her dress as she went up
the steps.
81 did find her after a time, but |
had made mistake. A man shouldn't
fall i'm love with less than two feet,
and he should see how they walk.
There is everything in the way wom-
an walks. The woman whose foot |
had admired-her feet were beauti-
full, too-walked in a listless way.
She drew one foot after the other, Ian
guidly. That might mean that she
was selfish indolent. delicate or a
number of other things. Just notice
women who walk that way and see If
/ am not right.
Then notice the woman who walks
not exactly with a heavy step, but
comes down fiatfooted every time.
She would make a good business man.
ager, and she might know how to man
Of re lint oh ics
too aggressive to be a comfortable
person to get along with. 1t is all
right for a woman to have opinions of
her own; | like to see a woman who
knows her own mind, and | would
rather enjoy having her look after my
ideas If she cared to, but you don't
like to be knocked over even with
ideas.
Then there is the woman who has
rather a heavy dragging step. That
woman is sure to have round shoulders
and stoop when she walks. She has
TO take time to think when she an
swers, and it takes her long time to
see a joke. She has large feet, and
her shoes do not fit trinity. That is
not the kind of woman / care to know.
Then there is the woman who shakes
the room when she walks. She may
not be over plump. and she is very
likely cheerful and jolly. You like
her. but her chubby feet-they are
sure to be short and broad-are not
for you. She is a nice kind of wife
for some other man, and you like to
go and take dinner with him occas-
ionally when you are in the mood for
It. but she is not the ideal woman.
The ideal always wears trim. suit
able shoes, and she walks just as a
woman who has the ideal feet, ideally
dressed, should. She is sure to have
rather slender feet that look flexible
and make you think somehow of a
pretty slender hand well gloved. Her
shoes always fit her like a glove, any
way. She does not wear great man
nish shoes around the street all the
time because they are said to be fash
ionable. She only wears those with
a heavy, rough walking suit. For the
street she has a medium weight, trim
looking boot, and for the house she
wears pretty, soft. thin ones or pretty
slippers, anything. according TO the
occasion. There are times and sea-
sons for all kinds of boots, shoes and
slippers.
Il was on the Broadway car down
near the Battery the other day when a
plainly dressed woman was crossing
the street. When | saw her first every
one In the car, men and women, We're
looking at her. What was the trouble.
do YOU suppose? She was holding up
her skirts little, and so exhibited a
pair of what do you call 'em, with high
heels and a buckle in front?-Louis
Quinze slippers, isn't it?
Now those are the prettiest thing
a woman with pretty foot can wear
in an appropriate place, but they were
out of place down there, and there
was not a soul in the car that didn't
notice them, and there was nothing
about the woman otherwise to attract
attention. remember seeing woman
wearing low slippers on Fifth avenue
not long ago, and every one who
passed turned TO look at her.
MY ideal girl wouldn't think Of
wearing a pair of shoes inappropriate
". Her shoes always fit her so that |
she walks easily and well. with a |
rather quick, light step, and moves |
over the ground easily without jerk |
ness. You know she is a nice girl to |
get along with. She goes through |
life as smoothly and pleasantly as she |
walks. But she is not monotonous; |
YOU know that by her quick lightness. |
She always smiles at you and has a |
light answer ready whatever you say. |
Il am looking for her and l shall |
find her some day. But il is surprising |
how quickly most women can be cut |
of the list when you have shoes and |