New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1866-02-08
good manners, and unaocpstomed TO the uSoges Of

The custom OF COMPRISING the feet OF women
into preternaturally small dimensions "nlch
well known popularity Of the Chlnese' mas us
origin in aristocrauc pride. The distinction OF
caste consists in the size Of the female foot.
The feet NJ girls usuay when about five or ak years
of age are compressed by bandagng TO prevent thei
fartber growth and 10 reduce them 10 Tue i0im AUG
APPEARANCE much admired Dy the rlen anu Ilors5
peope of China For this pnrpose the foot IL extended
Al the ankle the fesby part Of the heel is pressed down
ward and forward and the entire foot Is .careuIy
wnnnd with long bandage from the ankle TO the ex-
tremv M the toes and back again. 1t will be readily
unde stood that this process checks the circulation Of
the blood and reards or entirely prevents the lhftoe
growth of the foot. lie smaller Toes are ma VI
father unnaturaly crowded together, and somewhat
bent under the foot. The foot il prevented from
spreading out when the weight Of the body - thrown
upon il in state Of freedom. Ii becomes very mario"
and tapering point at the end Of the great Toe
The instep becomes unnauraly prominent ana tne %
calcis or bone which forms the bottom and posteiu
part Of the heel, is somewhat turned DOWNWARD. ~
foot thus compressed, ID placed In shori' n'Ilon
shoe tapering 20 q point; and sometimes ploeh vi
wood is used supporting the heel tina, the oou'
Ia stand tiptOe the heel being from one 10 wv
HIGHER than the toes The heel also extehus sIch"io
and inward peyoud the heel OF the shoe so tDbt oo
really four or i've inches long VIII stand eashy IN anu
iupon shoe only three or three anu nan lhcuos ~
length. The ankle remaining neafy VI tpo nntui''
size and the instep being very prominent tLe oiRas
of ocomoton present 10 Western Observers very I'LL
couth appearance A.. .. :, n-on-
ery attended to- for the feet 10 be cramped into the
genieel shape There is no iron OF wooden shoe used
for COMPRISING the feet Notwithstanding tle contrary
opi ion which is entertained more or less III western
Hands The instruments employed are strips OF
cloth Ike narrow bandares. The foot gradually
shrnks and slrivels up When the bandaees are re-
moved for the sake of washing the foot OF OF bdnddgng
tighter The small toes otter months or years OF com
preston unable 10 resume their natural appearance
and position but remain cramped up and almost with
| out sci satlOn. -
When the process is begun az the proper age and the
bsndarng is properly attended 20. the heel sometimes
comes TO the ground or rather TO The eNei OF Inc
end Of the large toe The heel seems under me process
of bandaging TO elOnCae but when the loot Is larBr,
and almost u grown before the comprising Of II be
gins The heel oiteGtimes cannot be brought down 10
level With tae end of the toe. Then block IL put IN
Tie shoe under the heel that the bottom OF The block
and The end If the shall be nearly on the same level
hen the individual is stand ne Really, she walks on
her tptoes and heels The ankle or insep buges out
ward IN 'front.'.
The cntee shoe for the bondaged foot is about three
inches on the sole Sometimes the shoes are even
shorter than three English inches. The toes and the
heel ore thrust much possible into the shoe, and
the shoe then fastened upon the rest Of the foot leay'
ing the bottom portion Of the shoe visible. The upper
pt O. the foot Is always much larger than the soc,
and berg band aged about with cloth, the whole has
The apuearoi ce of ciubooi. The toes and the part Of
Tue foot in the shoe have or less cloth or strips Of
cloth wrapped around them. IL is manifest mat no
stockings Be pJrn by The lddlo uso soT! sach sinai.
| feet as hare beeR described
The operation of bandagng il necessarily very pain
full Tie H. 81 skin often breaks or cracks in conse
Quence OF binding the toes underneath Unless proper
care Is taker formed tie foot which u u
difficult 10 heal because IL is desirable that the pus
shOnld be constantly and tightly bIndsged II undue
haste Is endeavoIed 10 be made by baDdaglng more
tightly than IL proper IN order 20 have the foot quickly
become small the pain becomes proporiioneby greater
II the gfl Is twelve or fifteen years old before band
aging her feet il attempted Il rs found very difficult to
cause them to assume tie required shape and efforts 10
DO so are accompanied with excessive pain The bones
have y this time become hardened and almost es large
as they ever would grow. Usually however, In the
case Of gs Of advanced age the toes are compressed.
while the rest of the to0t retains ts acquired shape TO
veIy great extent The end Of tie foot IL thrust INTO
the Shoe the heel is supported by block and the rest
! OF the foot IS bandaged in much the usual way.
Instances have been known Of females with bandaged
feet when hired ont servants leaving off the band
age AMI dscaTding Of course the small Shoe wearing
larger kind much like those worn by tie iaIgeooied
class least lar as size Is concerned Such persons
feet are more less defomed and doubtless they be
gan 10 wear bandages when considerably advanced In
girlhood There Ii good deal of oopnterfelting small
feet pructised at this place Stage aeiOrs who ar'
males sometimes have their feet bandGged when thel
In consequence Of TINS wearing shoes into which th
toes are thrust this class OF eGales apparent. ver
toll As has been explained they walk and stand to
great extent their pioes and this fact makes then
ook taller than they would otherwise look The small
fooed class cannot pdA firmly Their gait il mincine
: aud totiering, their steps being short and takeI
quickly They are seldom seen 10 stride along. While
they often quite strong phyticaly they are gene
ally unable to cary heavy oads and 10 manage them
which requires moving from place 10 pince. Coarse
heavy work IN households, when the women be'e small
feet IS usually performed ty male or by female ser
wants who have large or natural feet
Small fcetare a.markin not Of peGh, for the poorest
families sometime have their daughters feet bandaged
it is rather an index Of eentiiy 1t is,be fashionable
form. Small ieet. CO they appear bandaged are con
sjdered most Of the Chinese beautiful The words
= good looking very frequently heard, ndlca.
tive Of the estimation IN which they are held IL Is but
lust 10 Chinese TO say that they denounco The
tom and view il as Gripping the energies OF the fema
and productive Of great deal OF suffering aud
az entirely useless II does good bnt rather pro-
duces evil, In case OF emeI geneies Of fires and sick.
Less they whose feet are bandeged are almost helpless
and useless Those no admit sue! 10 be tie real state
Of the in regard 70 The small1OOted women after
all. feel obliged 10 conform In regard 20 their own
daughters the usages OF Chinese society II living IN
the city, and connected with literary families. Al q
general rule fams whose girls huve small feet marry
heir Sons into families Of the same class.
In parts Of China all the females have baDdaged
feet bu! il is not thus here There is large proper
lion OF the Inhabitants Of the country, also abont SIX
teyeDtentbs Of tbs population OF the suburbs OF THIS
city, according 10 the estimate OF some, whose females
have feet OF the natural SIZE IL IS said that probably
more than ninecDils u the females who are brought
up the city have bandngcd feet II Is thought that
il not Tor the poverty OF the people, all the females
would in generation or two have email feet. keces.
sy laws interdict many families obipg them 10
tier daughters with feet of the size and shape
which Nature gave them that they labor in tie
fields and carry heavy burdens. thus earning living
or al least, contributing largely toward the mante
nance Of theiI families.
Many poor families prefer TO struggle along for pre-.
cartons living, bringing up their daughters with small
feet rather than allow Them 70 grow large theJ
would grow aud oblge them 10 carry burdens and do
heavy work, in order 10 attain more competent sup
port As has been said small feet are index Of
wealth but of genty. Families whose daughters have
small feet enabled to marry them into respect.
able and more literary families thBn though their feet
OF the natural size ConcubiDes inferior wives
hired servants and female slaves, generally have large
feet In the city and suburbs there 10 strong ten
dency 10 change from the largeooted into the small
footed class Few OF none change from the latter into
the former class Of society, ifliyng In the city.