The Daily state journal. [volume] (Alexandria, Va.) 1868-1874, 1871-03-15
Girls, Boots and shoes.

In DiO Lewis very entertaining and IN
structive work, sour Girls" just pub
lished by the Harpers, we find the follow
ing suggestions in regard to women's shoes,
which ought to be read and needed by
every woman. He says:
zone evening, at Lexington, | was dis
cussing before the assembled school the
subject of shoes for women, and had been
remarking that the soles were uniformly
too narrow, when Miss B. spoke up:
why, Doctor, my shoes are perfectly
immense. Why, they are twice as broad
as my foot
Miss B., will you be kind enough to
take off one of your shoes and send 1t for
ward 2 1t was cheerfully and quickly
done.
Henry, please bring the rule. Now we
will measure this sole.'
Miss B., 1 find that this sole is two and
one half inches wide; do you think your
foot is narrower than that 2
ooh great deal that shoe sole is twice
as wide as my foot
Miss B., will you please come to the
platform moment !? So, limping along,
one shoe off and one shoe on, she presented
herself.
"'Miss B., will you be kind enough to
put your foot upon that sheet of white
paper Now hold up the other foot, and
let your full weight press upon this one.
There, now, hold still minute, and let.me
draw the pencil around your foot. There,
that will do. Now we will measure this
mark, and see just how broad your foot is.
Why, Miss B., find that your foot is three
inches and three-quarters broad-no, stop,
it is three inches and seven-eighths no
stop again, it really is four inches broad
Now what do you think? You may take
the rule and measure yourself if you doubt
it, The sole is two inches and half and
your foot is four inches broad
"'But, Doctor, it is four inches broad
only when it is spread out by standing my
whole weight on this one foot
yes, Miss B but that is exactly what
takes place every time you step. For ex-
ample, when in walking, you lift the right
foot and push it forward, your whole
weight is not only on the loft foot in pro-
| pelling the body forward, you have in adj
dition to your weight upon that foot, the
effort of pushing forward with it, which
makes the toes still broader, and that takes
place every time you step. So presume
when you are walking briskly, that il
your foot were at liberty to spread, ii
would reach four inches and quarter.
This shoe sole, which you think is immense,
Is two inches and half wide. Now,
what do you suppose becomes of the inch
and half of foot which has no sole to
rest upon? Either the upper holds the
foot and prevents its spreading,
or the foot spreads on either
side beyond the sole, and presses down
upon the edge of the sole. Very few girls
walk in firm, strong way. Notice one.
You can see that she is balancing upon a
narrow sole. There is an unsteadiness, q
sidewise vibration. Besides, as she has
not breadth of toe enough, she cannot push
her body forward in that elastic way which
we all SO much admire. Again, the pres.
sure of the upper leather checks the circu-
| lation in the foot, and makes it cold. II
| you check the circulation in any part, il
becomes cold. The tight shoes, with an
elastic worn about the leg just below the
knee, SO check the circulation in the foot
that the great majority of girls have cold
feet. 1t would indeed be rare to find one
with warm feet like boys"
The editor of the Saugatuck Commercial
"thanks the friend who laid dozen eggs
| on his table"
About one week since, man named
James P. Watkins, living about ten miles
south of Jefferson, Iowa, whipped his wife
in such a brutal manner that she died
within an hour. She was on the point of
confinement.