38 WADING BOOTS AND STOCKINGS. 



leather. The stockings are the lightest and easiest to 

 travel in, and the latter the neatest and most seemly. 

 In using the former, the wearer should bear in mind to 

 put on a pair of long, thick, home-knit hose next his 

 skin, entirely woollen, with short-kneed small-clothes, 

 over which the Macintosh stocking is to be drawn, and 

 over them again a pair of socks, to prevent the shoe 

 (which must be made especially for the purpose, and 

 two or three sizes larger than those usually worn) from 

 abrading it. Although this triplicate costume may render 

 the foot of a smart young sprig of some five feet and a 

 trifle, something larger in dimensions than the "clod- 

 pressers"of the"Staleybridge Infant" (a noted pugilist of 

 six feet two inches in stature), yet the whole will not be 

 nearly so heavy and fatiguing as a pair of cumbrous leather 

 boots ; and should the children of every village through 

 which he passes pursue him with extended fingers and 

 derisive cheers, as will most likely be the case, I would 

 not recommend him on any account to put himself out 

 of temper, but pocket the insult as coolly as possible, and 

 go on his way rejoicing. 



To such as prefer the boots, from their greater neat- 

 ness in appearance, I can recommend the following 

 composition for dubbing them with, as being excellent 

 for rendering them soft and impermeable to water. 



WATERPROOF DUBBING FOR BOOTS. 



Neat's-foot oil . . .1 pint. 



Turpentine . . . . 2 oz. 



Bees' wax . . . . 2 oz. 



Burgundy pitch . . . 1 oz. 



