5.] 



KNOWLEDGE 



243 



It is, however, rather difficult to obtain such straight 

 shoes. Shoemakers, though remarkably Radical in 

 politics, are very Conservative in all that concerns their 

 own trade, and not easily taught to carry out trade inno- 

 vations. In such shoes the additional width demanded 

 is chiefly across the middle or widest part of the sole. 

 When this is given the large toe finds room for itself by 

 pushing the foot outwards to the extreme limit of this 

 extra sole breadth. Low broad heels are of course 

 demanded in these, as in all other shoes. 



It may be expected that I should say something to 

 women of fashion about the ridiculous high heels they 

 have lately worn for fashion's sake. Of course, I could 

 show how unnaturally these instruments of tortui-e strain 

 certain muscles and paralyse others, how injurious they 

 are to health and subversive of proper exercise, but in 

 doing this I should be reasoning as though to rational 

 beings, should be assuming that the people addressed are 

 endowed with a respectable amount of intelligence, and 

 amenable to proper motives. I beg to assure my readers 

 that I am subject to no such delusion, have lived long 

 enough and have seen enough of mankind and of woman- 

 kind to make no such false estimate of character. 



In direct contradiction to the demand of the occasional 

 pedestrians for thick-soled and ankle-laced boots is that 

 of running athletes. They are, so far as I am able to 

 learn, unanimous in favour of very light, soft, porous, 

 and pliable shoes. Those sold under the name of 

 "running shoes" make an approach nearer to physio- 

 logical requirements than any others commonly offered 

 for sale. They have no raised heels, are as light, soft, 

 and thin as is possible in affording the required protection 

 and grip. The foot is nearly as free as if bared. 



Recent observations and reflection have led me to con- 

 clude that all civilised European nations are going wrong 

 in their habits of locomotion. We walk too much and 

 run too little. If a man has to cover twenty miles in 

 five hours he should not walk at the rate of four miles 

 an hour, bat should rather make the journey by alter- 

 nately trotting a piece at five miles an hour and then 

 walking about the same distance at three miles an hour. 

 I am now convinced that fast walking is questionable or 

 even bad exercise, and that daily discipline in gentle 

 trotting is veiy desirable, our general muscular structure 

 being better adapted for running than for the straining 

 effort of rapid walking. A child runs spontaneously ; so 

 do men who are unrestrained by conventionality, and all 

 enjoyable athletic games (excepting the solemn golf of 

 serious Scotchmen, and fa.shionable archery) involve more 

 or less of running. 



I profoundly regret that I did not make this discovery 

 thirty years earlier. Had I done so my present girth 

 would be very different. One of my recent neighbours 

 was a Hindoo rajah. This gentleman carried out a daily 

 discipline of running a few miles — usually on the Harrow- 

 road. On ordinary occasions he took a trot from his 

 house and back again ; at other times, as when driving 

 to town, he ran behind his carriage. Judging from his 

 physical appearance, he kept himself in excellent con- 

 dition thereby. We should all do well to follow his 

 example. The Rotten-row would be a still more useful 

 institution than at present if, in addition to the soft- 

 ground horse- way, there were a foot-track for gentlemen 

 trotters in flannel whites, and ladies in corresponding 

 divided skirts. Even from a spectators' point of view 

 the interest of that popular show would bo increased 

 thereby. It would be well if all the members of the 

 Pall-mall clubs took a trot roiind the Mall and Birdcage- 

 walk preparatory to the house dinner. IMcmbers of 



Parliament the same. For the In t i xt \\(^^ nd 

 their clients, Lincoln's-inn Fit 11 i 11 1 i tl c 



court rises. City men might riii i I fi i tl t n 



daily instead of walking. In the c uuli_, there i nj 

 difficulty. 



It is very satisfactory to observe that athleticism is 

 so rapidly superseding the dandyism of the past. One of 

 its admirable forms is the organisation of "harriers," a 

 party or club of youths who start rationally dressed for 

 a ten or fifteen or twenty miles' run, and meet convivially 

 at the end ; provided always that beer and tobacco are 

 not allowed to neutralise the benefits of the fresh air and 



I need scarcely add after the above that canvas or 

 other strong jiorous material is incomparably preferable to 

 leather for the upper part of shoes. The demand for 

 waterproof foot-covering dae to that morbid condition of 

 the ^feet described in my last, may be superseded by 

 gradually releasing the feet from excess of bandage and 

 exposing and expanding them naturally. A certain cure 

 for " cold feet " is obtainable by frequently immersing 

 them in cold water for a short time, then taking a sharp 

 walk or run in thin shoes. Perseverance in this will in 

 due time remove all real and imaginary danger of taking 

 cold as a consequence of wet feet. 



MYSTERIES AND MORALITIES. 



By Edwaed Clodd. 



THESE several pageants from the Apocryphal Gospels 

 lead up to the most popular, because farcical, 

 pageants of the Adoration of the Shepherds, which are 

 common to the four series, the Towneley having two 

 plays on the subject. 



In the first of these, Frima Fasforum, two shepherds 

 comijlain — one of the loss of his sheep, and the other o£ 

 "dangers from " robers " and "bosters"; when a third 

 joins them, and, finding them qiiarrelling about the 

 pastuw-Lind, chaffs them at losing sight of the sheep. 

 They then fraternise, and empty their bags, one bringing 

 out, with ■• nuit,tard afore," a cow's foot, a pig's leg, 

 "two bludynges (black puddings), I trow, a leveryng 

 (liver) betweue"; another producing "an ox-tayle,'' a 

 "good py," and "two swyne gronys " ; while Tercius 

 Pastor contributes " the leg of a goys," with chekyn's 

 endorde,* pork, partryk," and other delicacies, which 

 they wash down with "good halsom aylle of Kely,"t this 

 caution being given : — 



but unheeded, for 



They then seek sleep, and just as the third shepherd 



ittcrs this odd invocation, 



they hear the angel's announcement of the birth cf 

 Jesus, the prophectes about whom they recite, the third 



