3 8 THE EXHILARATIONS OF THE ROAD. 



of infatuation. When Dickens was in this country I 

 imagine the aspirants to the honor of a walk with him 

 were not numerous. In a pedestrian tour of England 

 by an American, I read that " after breakfast with the 

 Independent minister, he walked with us for six miles 

 out of town upon our road. Three little boys and 

 girls, the youngest six years old, also accompanied us. 

 They were romping and rambling about all the while, 

 and their morning walk must have been as much as 

 fifteen miles ; but they thought nothing of it, and 

 when we parted were apparently as fresh as when they 

 started, and very loath to return." 



I fear, also, the American is becoming disqualified 

 for the manly art of walking, by a falling off in the 

 size of his foot. He cherishes and cultivates this part 

 of his anatomy, and apparently thinks his taste and 

 good breeding are to be inferred from its diminutive 

 size. A small, trim foot, well booted or gaitered, is 

 the national vanity. How we stare at the big feet 

 of foreigners, and w r onder what may be the price of 

 leather in those countries, and where all the aristo- 

 cratic blood is, that these plebeian extremities so pre-* 

 dominate. If we were admitted to the confidences of 

 the shoemaker to Her Majesty or to His Royal High- 

 ness, no doubt we would modify our views upon this 

 latter point, for a truly large and royal nature is never 

 stunted in the extremities ; a little foot never yet sup- 

 ported a great character. 



It is said that Englishmen when they first come to 



