The Delta independent., 1901-04-05
PITS Slippers.

BY FRED MYRON COLBY.
Copyright. 1901: by Daily Story Pub. Co.,
You have all read of Jacks Seven
League Boots and of Cinderella's Lit
tie Glass Slippers, but l dare say you
have never heard of the Princess Pits
shoes. Yet they were quite as wonder
full in their way as those others that
you read Of in your story books. They
went all the way through the air from
hundred-gated Thebes, on the Nile, to
Memphis, almost six hundred mics,
and they carried their mistress ever
so many leagues over the lotus BIOS
SONS and the porphyry courts of her
Egyptian home, and yet they are not
worn out Made OF the most fragile
material-the soles formed Of strips
Of palm-leaf, neatly fitted together and
furnished with bands of the stem Of
the papyrus, prettily lined with red
colored linen with queer looking pic
ture painted on it and little gilt or
nament at the ends of the curved
points-these slippers have outlasted
the stone temples and palaces that
glowed SO gorgeously In the old Egypt
Ian land, when Pti walked among their
newborn majesty. They are more
than three thousand years old: is 1t
not wonderful? And more wonderful
than anything else about the story is
that it is "a truly story"
One bright morning Pti, who was
a princess, was dressing to go out. A
dozen maids were running hither and
thither for her jewels. her best robes
4 har Holg x.yhf dor ufr
stood plating her long black hair.
Ever and anon Pti would look at
little hand-glass of silver to see the ef-
feet
There, Luxora, that will do" she
said to her tire-woman, as the tress
at her left side. plated with gold
thread, dropped from the slaves hands
Now bring me that saffron-colored
robe, with the golden belt and straps.
Osiria, that collar of pearls and those
armlets and bracelets inlaid with lapis-
lazuu and turquoise. Nay. Nefertsu.
not those, but the sandals orpamented
with the head Of Mother Isis"
The girl addressed as Nefertsu
blushed, hesitated. and at last STAN
mered: MY mistress. can ind but
one Of the Isis-headed shoes; Its mats
Is gone"
Thou hast mislaid it-but no mat
ter; though barefoot do ] 80 today.
for will wear no other" declared the
princess.
NAY, my lady, 1t were not seemly."
cried her mi.idens.
did not my great-grandmother
Nitakcr, go barefoot whole year and
day because there were no shoes
small enough to fit her? And am l
not princess, too? say barefoot
will go until l get pair I fancy"
and Pti stretched cut her beautiful
pearly feet and glanced at them with
the least bit of vanity.
No more could be said. So arrayed
in her soft-colored linen robe, her man
tie Of embroidered Babylonian cloth,
her necklace of gold. and head-dress
of fine feathered work, lace and jewels,
but with her small feet slipperless, Pti
went down into the broad court, and
mounted her palanquin Of wicker and
lacquer-work, which four huge Lybian
slaves bore whenever she went abroad.
On her way home, the princess
stopped at a cobbler's shop, near the
Sacred Way. With deierential hands
the tradesman handed to his high
born patron pair after pair Of his
costly stock. Sandals woven OF river
grass and OF palm leaves, sandals Of
leather and sandals Of glass, sandals
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