The next business is to cut the pattern in paper, and, presuming it to be a lady's boot, the greatest care is taken in seeing that it stands well-neither dropping back nor pitching too much forward-the goloshes round the side, the leather toe-caps, or whatever the form may be, of the lower part of the boot has its pattern cut also in paper, for much depends on the correctness of these little matters.

The linen linings are then cut true to this pattern; the cashmere, prunella, or cloth, cut to form the outside, and the morocco, patent leather, or cordovan, added for the goloshing, and in this state it is given to the binder. Great care is now required and exacted in working up the boot-leg true to the pattern, and if it be lace, button, or elastic, the binder has it in her power to spoil the whole affair-more, perhaps, depends on fitting the work than the workmanship, an union, therefore, of skill in these two points constitutes a good boot-binder. The leg is next passed on to the closer, who, with the awl instead of the needle closes the seams of the golosh, and then having lasted the boot, attaches the leather by means

of a neat row of stabbing round the edge thoroughly through the leg and its lining. This is the most secure, the neatest, and also the most expensive method of getting up a good boot-leg.

This boot-leg, which has been twice sent out from the shop, now comes in to be again handed over to the maker who receives the lasts, together with the leather soles, insoles, welts stiffnings, shank pieces, and other little matters essential to the work, not omitting, if the master knows his business, or considers the comfort of his customers, a good piece of felt, to insert between the in-sole and out-sole, to prevent the intolerable nuisance of creaking; neglect this, and besides the music (the fillings, which are bits of leather pasted between the soles, and which the workman is obliged to put in to make a level sole), you get lumps, after a little wear, at the bottom of the tread, which give great pain and often produce corns and callosities on the soles of the feet.

It would be tedious to the reader to describe the various manipulations of the workman in making a pair of boots, if he accomplishes his work in the

course of a day, he does well; and keeping the boots on the last during the night to dry and get solid, is all that is required of him before bringing them to the shop.

If he has attended to all his instructions for width of tread; thickness of fore-part; thinness of waist; height of heel; left no pegs sticking up, and kept his work clean, there is every probability of the lady being pleased, the Master pleased, Clicker pleased— Workman pleased. But should either have failed inadvertently or through carelessness, in one of the minute matters before mentioned, the boots are returned, and the whole must be gone over again.

Few ladies are aware of the many little points required to produce a good article with precision of fit; but let them consider before they try another artiste, that the first failure may ensure a correct fit the second time, and give no further trouble to them perhaps for life: a little patience at the proper time, would often save a world of annoyance in running from one shop to another only to find out that all were pretty much alike.

In describing the other department, and by far the most general in large towns, the ready-made trade, it may at first be supposed all the evils of the bespoke system may be avoided, according to Barny O'Reirdon, in Ireland they are entirely avoided, as a man comes into market with a barrow full of brogues and every one helps himself, there is no measuring in the case, and if a brogue is too long, he claps a wisp of straw in the toe.

There is a large class of persons in London, &c., who sell boots and shoes, but do not manufacture them. The greater part of those persons know no more how a boot or shoe is made, than the boots and shoes can be said to possess such knowledge. These articles are principally made in the country or the Eastern part of the metropolis, and sent up for sale: perhaps a hundred dozen pairs are made on one pair of lasts; the makers of course have no idea who will be the purchasers, or of the form of the feet of the parties who may wear them; nor do they care, their object being merely the sale and the money.

Persons may occasionally purchase a pair of these

articles which will suit them tolerably well, as there is no rule without an exception; but for one such instance there are perhaps fifty to the contrary; while some may prove good, others will be perhaps worthless, and though some persons may be satisfied, most people will have abundant cause to regret having risked a purchase.

In the "cheap women's trade" there is also much deception practised, so that cheap is only another word for what at last proves to be, perhaps, the dearest part of the female's expenditure for wearing apparel.

The cause of the evil here indicated must be ascribed to one, of those many misconceptions of people's own affairs which are so often made mani fest in the conduct of individuals and classes. Masters and workmen quarrelling with each other, do not see in the blinded and blinding system of their reprisals what must finally be the result; the employer in some cases must be ignorant of the effect of his curtailments; and the journeyman as ignorant as to the method he takes to protect him