in vain I rummaged through the garret—­that receptacle of ancient treasures—­for relics of the past, in the way of masculine shoes and boots.  I was giving it up in despair, when suddenly an idea occurred to me.  It had happened, in days long past, that a French lady of our acquaintance had broken up housekeeping, and we had stored a part of her furniture in our spacious garrets.  Ere long it had all been reclaimed except two articles, which had somehow or other remained behind.  The first was a handsomely mounted crayon drawing, representing a remarkably ugly young man with heavy features and a most unprepossessing expression of countenance.  Below this drawing, maternal pride and affection had caused to be inscribed in clear, bold letters, these two words:  ‘My Son.’  The second piece of property remaining behind with ’my son’s portrait, were ’my son’s elegant French boots—­a wonderful pair, shiny as satin, and of some peculiar and exquisite style, long and narrow, with sharp-pointed and slightly turned-up toes.  They were of beautiful workmanship, but being made of a firm and unaccommodating material, and in form utterly unadapted to any possible human foot, they had probably pinched ’my son’s feet so unendurably that no amount of masculine vanity or fortitude could long support the torture, and with a sigh of regret he had no doubt been forced to relinquish them ere their first early bloom had departed, or the beautiful texture of the sole-leather had lost its delicate, creamy tint.  These two articles had long lain in a corner of the garret, to the infinite amusement of the children of the family, who were never weary of allusions to ‘my son,’ and ’my son’s boots.  In process of time the portrait also was reclaimed, but the deserted boots still occupied their corner of the garret, year after year, until there were no children left to crack their jokes at their comical and dandified appearance.  Upon these elegant French boots I pounced, in this sore dilemma, and as my messenger was waiting, without time for a moment’s reflection, I bundled them in with the rest of the articles, and dispatched them at once to their destination.

Scarcely had the messenger departed than I sat down to laugh.  I thought of the brother, who had especially distinguished himself in his boyish days, by witticisms upon those famous boots, and I recalled to mind, also, a slightly exaggerated description of the negro foot, with which he had been wont to indulge his young companions.  This foot he would describe as very broad and flat, with the leg planted directly in the centre, leaving an equal length for the toes in front and for the heel behind.