The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1902-10-23

Look you-that is, don't look at all at
mans face or form till you contem-
plate his feet. Here is a fat foot, rather
broad and buiging. 1t is inside a shin
ing patent leather shoe. Above the
shoe is a stocking the fieriest that scar
let dye can achieve. Now. don't look
UP at the man Just yet-till the hosiery
character expert tells you You will
find nine times out of ten that the wear
er of the fiery hose is a fat man. good
natured looking, but a little careless in
his general appearance and apt to be a
blunderer among details of etiquette.
Next the fat mans feet is pair very
different. The feet themselves are neat
and slender and shod in black ties of
the best make. without a wrinkle. AS
the man sat down he adjusted his trou-
sers SO that his hose the pride of his
eye, could be seen to advantage. That
/ pair of hose is black. but of the finest
quality of Isle thread or silk. There is
10 touch of color in them except a deli
cate blue blocking that runs up his
neatly turned ankle as a morning glory
vine twines around post or. mayhap,
at times he Will display the faintest bit
of black openwork over his slim instep
| instead of the blue clock running up
the ankle.
This is your neat. tasteful. correct
man. In small details of conduct he
knows just what to do and when to do
it. Looking over the remainder of his
attire, you perceive it is studiously
quiet, though of the best make and cut.
In dress and department he is ostenta-
tiously unostentatious. He is the critic
| in small matters.
| Then come three pairs of the most
awful stockings mortal ever laid eyes
1
] The second pair is red and black, the
coloTs of the arch demon. The hues are
| blended in a way most cunning. Daz-
zling scarlet is the front. At intervals
over the instep and up the ankle are
| cross rings of black, as it were the
clasps and bands of sandal; but this
/ Is humbug and a snare. The black
clasps and rings are part of The woven
stocking Beside the stockings that dis
| play the demons co1ors is pair in daz-
| zling green and purple up and down
stripes alternating. These three pairs of
most villainOus hose incase the feet of
a trio of youths ignorant, crude and un-
developed to the last degree, youths of
| sixteen to twenty. They are going to
horse race. The man of subdued
sporting instincts wears sky blue silk
hose or pale gray livened up with polka
dots of some brighter tint.
Now you come to pair of high shoes
| of calfskin. They are not well polished
they are not laced up all the way; they
look as if the wearer had a habit of
setting them down regardless of what
they stepped upon. Wrinkled down and
falling over the tops of those shoes you
will see white stockings, or, naayhap,
that once were white. Such are the feet
of the disgruntled old fellow who has
ceased to care for anybody or anything
except his own personal desires and
comforts.
But here. and last of all, behold a
twain of yellow shoes. number twelves.
one wouldpsay. The hose may he of
any color. but the shoes are high: they
are thrust defantly out in the middle Of
the car like a pair of leather trunks.
them, children trip and stumble over
them. but their owner cares. not-a jot.
They are his feet, aren't they2 He re-
cards this planet and all that thereon Is
as swinging through the universe for his
sole use and convenience. The only
way to down his whaieiike conceit is to
attract his attention from himself in
some way and then gaze steadily and
s1rasvfr 15fng1y at those feet It may re-
o,iire ten minutes. but sooner or later
the owner OF the colossal yel1ows Will
manifest unea siness. then with crane
and derrick like motion haul them in.
ALICE A. BROWNs