The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1912-09-17
4 STORY TOLD BY SHOES.
By FRANCES sHAFFER.


Two feet. two shoes-and that was
all. For really. the woman did not
count.
The heels We're of the French variety,
very, very French and badly toppled
over. and the shoes were much the worse
for wear. But that was not all. They
ed feet had nothing else to do but try
to slip out by way OF the heels.
They told an eloquent story as they
| clicked and wabbled up the hill. and this
is about the way they answered some of
the comments that came to mind:
why Does She Do 1t.
Why. when she could buy just one
pair. for street, for house, for day, for
evening and all. why did she select those
Frenchy things, that look so out of keep
ing on city pavements and so unbeautiful
! anywhere?
Well, one supposes il is just the un-
regulated love for the snowy. the ex-
treme and the spectacular that some
times afflicts folks very much higher up.
We read of the Millionaire or the Bill
lionaire-Lady who searches the Orient
for something beautifully rich. some
thing to make eyes open wide in ad-
miring wonderment. Nothing eloquently
quiet, nothing suggestively subdued. just
burst of royal splendor everywhere
And then we meet the poor little, cheap
little Miss Nobody who stretches her
pocketbock and every principle of good
taste, buys those foolish shoes and starts
up the hill-to create an impression.
Little Miss Nobody clicks up the
street. makes an ugly picture and goes
on, fondly believing that in the looks
that have come her way there has been
a goodly bit of admiration. The Million
aire-Lady spends little fortune. makes
wonderful picture. creates a profound
impression. and she, too. goes on, firm
In the belief that admiration is her only
portion.
Both on Same Quest.
Little Miss Nobody and Millionaire
Lady-both are out on the same silly
quest. Both win attention-and both
win rebuke. Who knows what little
Miss Nobody would do If she had a
heap of gold? Doubtless she would try
to turn the world upside down just to
show what her money could do. and
probably she would startle her guests.
the press, and the public. And no one
can guess what the Millionaire Lady
might buy if she had just a flimsy
pocketbook, not much experience, and
not much sense. Maybe she would turn
most foolish shoes of all. Because away
down in the heart of both is the same
longing to create an impression.
Both succeed. The one with her money,
the other with her shoes, and II one
looks at the real meaning of the two
pictures one is just as unlovely as the
other.
Old story of Ideals.
R,It tha size-why WAS n so frankly
smaller than It should have been?
1t is the old story of ideals and the
sometimes foolish striving to attain
them. One time, long ago, the standards
Of feminine beauty included a foot so
tiny that ordinary women could only
look on and helplessly fall below, else
squeeze and pucker their toes until the
misfit was accomplished. Beautiful hero
ines always playfully stamped their baby
feet; admiring poets told how her feet
beneath her petticoat like little mice
stole in and OUT" and everywhere femi-
ninity, IL at all as il should be, must
have wee feet to please the popular
taste. And when they tried to make
them small and smaller, hoped to fool
shop folk and themselves, they were
laughed at for their pains, and a lot OF
silly jokes went round and round.
In spite of ALL most of women have
learned that the size OF the shoe is i'm
material. the size of the foot no less
important, and they comfortably wear
whatever nature wants, little or big, as
their feet may be. And they do not care |
much which way II goes.
But there are some left who take to
heart the Cinderella tale and they want
to come just as near those tabled slip |
pers as they possibly can. So they buy
a three when their feet cry four, and