"To pass now to the origin of this direction of my feelings,
"Even in early childhood I admired pretty feminine foot-gear, and
in the contemplation of it experienced vague sensations which I now
recognize as sexual. When a lad of 14 or so, I stayed a good deal at the
house of some intimate friends of my parents, the daughter of the house
— an only child — a beautiful and powerful girl, about six years my senior,
being my special chum. This girl was always daintily dressed, and having
most lovely feet and ankles not unnaturally knew it. Whenever possible
she dressed so as to show oflF their beauty to the best advantage — rather
short skirts and usually little high-heeled slippers — and was not averse
to showing them in a most distractingly coquettish manner. She seemed
to have a passion for treading upon things which would scrunch or yield
under her foot, such as flowers, little windfallen apples and pears, acorns,
etc., or heaps of hay, straw or cut grass. As we wandered about the gar-
dens — ^for we were left to do exactly as we liked — I got quite accustomed
to seeing her hunt out and tread upon such things, and used to chafif
her about it. At that time I was — as I am still — fond of lying at full
length on a thick hearthrug before a good fire. One evening as I was
lying in this way and we were alone, A. crossed the room to reach a
bangle from the mantelpiece. Instead of reaching over me, she play-
fully stepped upon my body, saying that she would show me how the
hay and straw felt. Naturally 1 fell in with the joke and laughed.
