THE VIENNESE CARNIVAL.- A STRANGE FREAK.

Thames Star, Volume XI, Issue 3591, 30 June 1880, Page 3

THE VIENNESE CARNIVAL.- A STRANGE FREAK.

B Among,the strange freaks of the last ■ Viennese Carnival has been the adoption Hby several of the Kaiserstad's leading H beauties of imitation feet and scandals as H accessories to mythological or classical ■ costumes. Having indued flesh-coloured ■ maillots provided with thin soles, these committed their delicate extremeties ■to the manipulation of skilled Hartists, who deftly painted therecounterfeit presentments of toes, ■sandals and laces, all complete. HTt appears that the pretty wife of an Viennese historical painter bad the dress, or underdress, of a water- sprite wherein to attend the ■"Gr'scbnas Ball," and solicited her husband's aid to " make up " her ■feet in the manner above indicated. He ■ consented; but being of a jealous dis■^position, prompting him to be charry of ■ enhancing his wife's natural charms Hby adventitious means, he put off the ■ foot-painting operation until the last ■ moment. When, however, the carHriage was at the door, and the waterHgprite's scanty toilette completed in all ■ respects but one, he seized brush and ■ palette, and addressed himself, seemingly ■ m a feverish haste, to his task, hurrying ■ his wife off to the ball as soon as her ■ mimic feet were ready, without giving her ■ time to inspect them,. On entering the ball-room the lady cast a ■hurried glance at her husband's ar- ■ tiatic achievements. Her horror may ■b» better imagined than described ■ when she perceived that the pink ■ ■ilk tights in which her dainty feet ■ were imprisoned had been admirably ■ illuminated by his master-hand with ■ horrible representation of chilblains, ■ bunions, and inveterate corns, only too ■ true to nature. That night she danced ■ not, but sat sadly in a corner, hiding her feet under her chair as best she might. ■ ' v - :