The fashionable world—those people whom the earnest thinker and the practical utilitarian look upon almost as useless idlers in the community—still have their superiority in one direction, over the thinker or business man, which must be fairly acknowledged. They are artists in the matter of dress and personal ornamentation. They possess that taste and keen sense of the beautiful which forms everything around them into elegance, grace, and charm. Though they sometimes sacrifice strength and usefulness, and often go to foolish extremes, as do the plainer sort in an opposite way, yet they generally manifest a propriety in dress and surroundings which compels the admiration even of those sensible and steady ones who think so highly of the useful, but depreciate the value of beauty. To the fashionable class, then, no less than to others we appeal to adopt a fashion in dressing the feet which will tend strongly to develop beauty in their _form and appearance_, and grace in all their _movements_. What this is, has been sufficiently well explained. It may be added that no one should be satisfied without a good fit, and an article as tasteful and carefully selected as anything that is worn upon the head, or any other part of the person. The foot has the same right to be well dressed that is possessed by any other portion of the body. A shape of the sole that would be a compromise between the common form and the correct one, has been suggested for the benefit of those who could not be persuaded to have anything better. This is a good one for such feet as are somewhat distorted at the toes, and whose owners are not disposed to attempt any correction. But we protest against putting anything less perfect than the “Excelsior” upon _young_ feet, that are still undeformed, and hence entitled to a covering that will correspond. Parents have no right to treat their children in such a way as to induce any of the troubles that have been described. But this they are almost sure to do, in greater or less degree, by compelling them to wear the ordinary boot and shoe. It is true the better kind cannot be obtained ready-made at first, though the demand will produce them in a reasonable time, yet some approach to the true thing can be made by a shoemaker of intelligence and ingenuity, even though, in the absence of proper lasts, he is obliged to alter and improve some which he already has. Some day the better article will be both obtainable and inexpensive. In the mean time those most interested must take the best substitute within their reach—that which comes nearest the true standard. FOOTNOTES: