' CHARLIER' SHOES. 231 



to protect ; nothing further. How best to do this 

 is another question. 



We have agreed that the protection given must 

 be an iron one, and that it must be of a certain 

 thickness, in order that it may wear a reasonable 

 time. 



There are some dozens of different patterns of 

 shoes — scores, I may say. I myself have ever so 

 many ; and of all the people who have invented 

 them, hut one only seems to me to have arrived at 

 what a shoe should be, and that pattern is what 

 is called the ' Charlier,' named after its inventor. 

 But as this shoe necessitates a system entirely its 

 own, and the latter requires a careful and skilled 

 workman to carry out, it is not in as general use 

 as it should be. The foot requires careful prepara- 

 tion, and tools specially made for such. Moreover, 

 we English people are dreadful bigots, and are very 

 slow to adopt a new system. I myself have tried 

 all sorts, kinds, and descriptions of shoes on my 

 horses — the ' Charlier' amongst them — and I can 

 therefore speak from experience ; and I say most 

 truthfully when I declare this to be not only by far 

 the best / know of, but to be the one and only shoe 

 which has ever yet been invented fit to use ; and I 

 have not a single word of anything but praise to 

 say for it. I do not know M. Charlier, nor have 



