Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1869-12-29
Extraordinary HerOism---A Remark
able Surgical Operation.

There lives on Wabash avenue, III q
home of highly respectable exterior, a
young lady, the pride of her mother
and the joy of her papa. She Is, or
rather she was, in every respect, an at
tractive, graceful, and accomplished
girl; and so thought young Mr.. -,
to whom she is engaged, and who,
looking at her with the eye of lover,
could see, of course, no blemish in
her.
Yet there tcas one little defect, one
small imperfectiOn, which was said to
mar the symmetry of her otherwise
perfect form. Nature had given her
pair of wonderfully small feet, but al
though in length they were all that
q Chinese beauty might have adored,
they were just a little too broad in pro-
portion to the size. But for this little
oversight of Natures they would have
been the most ravishing pair of little
feet that ever 'twinkledn beneath a
petticOat. The young lady often sigh
ed as the bOOtmaker took the measure
of them, and thought how she might
have dazzled the world, and her adOr-
er particularly, had Nature been lit
tie less liberal. She adopted a variety
squeeze those rebelliOus little toes into
q proper attitude. Like Cinderella's
sister, she did her best to crush them
into the glass slipper, but the wicked
fairy always put the screw on and
punished her sorely for the attempt
In short her feet gave her no rest by
night or day. She was about to be
married, and in view of that event,
she resolved to make a double sacri-
flee.
A few months ago she visited an
eminent surgeon of this city, and made
a proposal which caused the pTacti
toner to shudder. He at once declin-
ed to accede to her strange request,
and there the matter dropped for q
time. More recently the young lady
renewed her proposition, expressing
/ her firm determination to have it car
ried out, and so persistently did she
cling to her resolution that the doctor
was at last prevailed upon to comply
with her wish. This was nothing less
| than the amputatiOn of the small toe
of each foot, which would reduce the
member to a size exactly proportioned
/ to its length. The operation was one
demanding the incest skill on the part
of the surgeon, and few days since
was successfully performed, with the
consent of the young lady's relatives
and friends. The obnoxious toes have
been extracted Just like teeth, leaving
the feet somewhat disfgured for a
time, but suited to fit into the small
est, dantiest little boot that can be
fashioned. The young martyr is now
in bed, waiting patiently for the wound
to heal. The operation has cost her a
pang, perhaps, but only think what
she has gained what she has lost by
it! Two small fantastic toes! Many
a victor has lived long, honored and
happy, with one foot in the grave.
This courageous little heroine has
achieved victory which the fashion
able world will delight to honor, and
she can now walk abroad in muddy
weather without trailing her skirts
Doubtless she is aching for the next
evening party, where her little foot
will be exhibited as a triumph of art
over nature. The young lady has
boldly put into practice the scriptural
precept, 'If thy small toe offend thee,
cut it off,
The two little offenders should be
buried with great pOmp and ceremO-
ny in the back yard. Peace to their
ashes, and may the cOrns press lightly
on the Chicago Tribune.