One Male and Two Female Figures.
This is a comic tableau, and represents a pretty young lady at a
country shoemaker's shop, in the act of having her foot measured for a
pair of shoes. The lady stands in the centre of the stage, and rests
her unslippered foot on a small box, while the knight of the lapstone
and hammer is engaged in taking the measure of her foot. While
occupied in this duty, he is suddenly smitten, either with her pretty
face or small foot, and instead of proceeding with his task, he stops
and looks up with a pleasant smile into the face of his fair customer.
In the background, peeping out from behind a screen, is the
shoemaker's wife, with a broomstick in her hand. The scenery consists
of a wooden screen, covered with cloth, extending half way across the
centre of the stage, on which is painted, in large letters, the name
"Ebenezer Heeltap." Shelves of boots, shoes, shoemaker's tools, and
other articles, should also be painted on the screen. In the
foreground place a shoemaker's bench, and a few shoes, partly worn
out, scattered on the floor. The young lady's costume consists of a
blue silk dress, crimson shawl, white bonnet, and sunshade. Position
is, standing at the side of the stage, showing a side view of the
body, one foot resting on a box, both hands grasping her dress, which
she draws up sufficiently high to display her foot and ankle, body
bent forward, and eyes fixed on her foot. The shoemaker kneels on the
floor opposite to her, holding a strap in one hand, the other resting
on the box, the head thrown back, and eyes cast upward to the face of
the lady. Costume consists of a suit of coarse material, sleeves
rolled up to the elbow, leather apron tied about the waist, paper cap
on the head, red or gray wig, and shaggy beard. The old lady's costume
consists of a cheap calico dress, white ruffled cap, white
handkerchief tied about the neck, and spectacles on the nose. The
light must come from the right side of the stage, and be of medium
brilliancy. Music of a secular order.