Dignity: A Worn Slipper

September 8, 1995

When new, it was just plain brown, but now its age has left it scarred and dull. Where the leather has been rubbed, its color is cream, not smooth, but rough and slightly shredded.

An old shoe never attains the same dignity as an old slipper. A slipper has molded itself to the wearer. The outer line of the foot has rounded the edge, and where the big toe rested there is a slight hump. The cushioned heel is flatter on the outside, and the whole slipper looks as if the foot had just slipped out of it - as if a touch of the hand would find it still warm.