A MARTYR TO FASHION.

Kumara Times, Issue 703, 30 December 1878, Page 2

A MARTYR TO FASHION.

The Richmond Whig says few Sundays ago, a modest young gentleman of dUr acquaintance attended the mop.nv ing service, in. one of our fashionable churches. He wasi kindlyshown into i luxuriously oushion&t pew, arid had ' hardly settled himself, and taken ari observation of his neighbours, before A beaiitiful yottng lady entered, and with a graceful wave of the hand preventing. ; our friend from rising to give" her place, quietly wink into a Beat near the endv When a hymn was given out, she skil* * fully, found the page ?/ aiid wttH.a sweet - smile that set his heart a thumping/ handed her neighbour the bot»lfc'f Thd. v minister raised bia hands in prayerVarid the fair girl knelt, and in this posture perplexed oar friend td knew, which,. f moat to admire, her beauty or her-de- ? voutness. Presently the prayer was concluded* and the congregation rdstfdietjl their seats. Our friend respectfullyraised bis eyes from the fair form he had been so earnestly- scanning)- lead;- ' when she looked ttps she should detect him staring at hen After seconds he darted a furtive glance &b his charmer> and was astonished, to *&£ her still on her kueea. He looked closely, and saw she was mooh atfected| ' trembling in violent agitation* no doubf from the eloquent power of the preacheriDeeply sympathising; he watehed he* closely, Her emotiau became mbrd 'violent J reaching her hand behind her,she - wtfulding, and jstrain, as it were, to rend the' ' briljiant fabric of her dressY> she sight Was,exceedingly painful to behold, but he still gaged, like one entranced, with wondef and astonishment; Afteit *• minute the lady raised- her face, here*...... tofore concealed in the cushion; and -*•'•• •with her baud made an unraistakeable beckon to oUr friend., He, quickly . moved along the pew towards her, and' " : " inclined his ear as Bhe-evidently wished to say somethiug.—-" Please help me, sit," she Caught, and 1 can't get up." A. brief, examination revealed the cause of the difficulty ', the fair girl wore fashionable high-heeled boots j kneeling down on both knees, these heels of course stuck OUt at right angles ; and in this posi* tion the highest hoop of her jiew skirt caught over them, and thus rendered it impossible for her to raise' herself or straighten her limbs* iW'inore she* struggled the tighter was she bound J so she was Cbtrati-atoed to call for help* This was immediately, if not scientific ally, rendered j and when the next prayer was" made 1 , she:merely inclined herself upon the back of the front pew—thinking, no doubt, that she ;!#aa net in praying costume.