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of the foot. The finest legs in the world are found among the Parisians — 

 this is easily accounted for : their streets were formerly devoid of side- 

 walks, and paved as ours are, with cobble stones ; they are, consequently, 

 obliged to raise the heel first, and walk much on tip-toe, particularly during 

 wet weather, and the result is a well-formed muscular calf that fairly 

 challenges the world for beauty. 



GLOVES 



Are made of various materials, such as thread, silk, leather, cotton, 

 worsted, woollen, fur, &c. They should be strong, warm in winter, cool in 

 summer, and elastic. Those manufactured from leather are of many kinds. 

 Kid is, probably, the most beautiful, elastic, and soft material used ; it can 

 be dyed of any desired color. The most superior are manufactured in 

 France, from goat-skins imported from Tuscany and Switzerland. Skins 

 taken from unborn calves make gloves of extraordinary beauty and fineness. 

 It was once the custom in Ireland to slaughter cows in calf, for the pur- 

 pose of obtaining the skins for that use, and Limerick gloves became cele- 

 brated the world over. Beaver gloves are much used. Woodstock gloves 

 have been celebrated since the days of Queen Elizabeth — of these the buck- 

 skin gloves are probably the strongest. An inferior kind is made of lamb- 

 Bkin at the same place, which will not wash. Doeskins come next ; both, 

 may be washed when soiled. 



• Gloves were much worn by the ancients. Xenophon says they were 

 fashionable among the early Persians ; and Varro, that they were used by 

 the Romans. Among the ancient Christians, they became a part of monas- 

 tic costume. Princes wore them as a mark of investiture. From an early 

 period until after the reign of Elizabeth, if a person desired to challenge 

 another, he threw down his glove — and if taken up, the challenge was 

 accepted. The last time this ceremony was performed, was at the corona- 

 tion of George IV., when his champion rushed into Westminster Hall and 

 threw down his glove, at the same time challenging any one to fight who 

 disputed the right of George to the crown. 



Machines have been invented for sewing leather and other gloves, which 

 reduce the price considerably. Gloves made of linen or cotton thread, are 

 much used for summer wear, and wash well. 



. Cotton gloves may be colored to suit the taste, are very strong, and sell 

 for a lower price than those made of any other material. The French make 

 gloves of silk that are very beautiful, and worn by the fair sex. Worsted 

 gloves, woven in the loom, are very warm, and much used in winter. 



STOCKINGS. 



Before the reign of Henry VII. knitted stockings were unknown. In 

 1560, Mrs. Montague knitted a pair of black silk hose for Queen Elizabeth, 

 who declared they were fine, delicate, and pleasant to the feet, and that she 

 would never wear cloth stockings again. In 1589, Mr. William Lee 

 invented a machine for weaving hose; and as Queen Elizabeth, the patron- 

 ess of art, was then in her decline, and James did not consider it an import- 



