The Mirror of Literature, Amusement, and Instruction. Volume 12, No. 326, August 9, 1828Various
History
The Mirror of Literature, Amusement, and Instruction. Volume 12, No. 326, August 9, 1828
Various
Popular literature -- Great Britain -- Periodicals
Is a man little? Let him always, if possible, stoop. We are sometimes
tempted to lay sprawling in the mud fellows of from five feet to five
feet eight, who carry the back of their heads on the extreme summit of
their back-bone, and gape up to heaven as if they scorned the very
ground. Let no little man wear iron heels. When we visit a friend of
ours in Queen-street we are disturbed from our labours or conversation
by a sound which resembles the well-timed marching of a file of infantry
or a troop of dismounted dragoons. We hobble as fast as possible to the
window, and are sure to see some chappie of about five feet high
stumping on the pavement with his most properly named cuddy-heels; and
we stake our credit, we never yet heard a similar clatter from any of
his majesty's subjects of a rational and gentlemanly height--We mean
from five feet eleven (our own height) up to six feet three.
Is a man tall? Let him never wear a surtout. It is the most unnatural,
and therefore the most awkward dress that ever was invented. On a tall
man, if he be thin, it appears like a cossack-trouser on a stick leg; if
it be buttoned, it makes his leanness and lankness still more appalling
and absurd; if it be open, it appears to be no part of his costume, and
leads us to suppose that some elongated habit-maker is giving us a
specimen of that rare bird, the flying tailor.
We go on a visit to the country for a few days, and the neighbourhood is
famous for its beautiful prospects. Though, for our own individual
share, we would rather go to the catacombs alone, than to a splendid
view in a troop, we hate to balk young people! and as even now a
walking-stick chair is generally carried along for our behoof, we seldom
or ever remain at home when all the rest of the party trudge off to some
"bushy bourne or mossy dell." On these occasions how infinitely superior
the female is to the male part of the species! The ladies, in a quarter
of an hour after the proposal of the ploy, appear all in readiness to
start, each with her walking-shoes and parasol, with a smart reticule
dangling from her wrist. The gentlemen, on the other hand, get off with
their great, heavy Wellingtons, which, after walking half a mile, pinch
them at the toe, and make the pleasure excursion confine them to the
house for weeks. Then some fool, the first gate or stile we come to, is
sure to show off his vaulting, and upsets himself in the ditch on the
opposite side, instead of going quietly over and helping the damosels
across. And then, if he does attempt the polite, how awkwardly the
monster makes the attempt! We come to a narrow ditch with a plank across
it--He goes only half way, and standing in the middle of the plank,
stretches out his hand and pulls the unsuspecting maiden so forcibly,
that before he has time to get out of the way, the impetus his own tug
has produced, precipitates them both among the hemlock and nettles,
which, you may lay it down as a general rule, are to be found at the
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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