The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1872-08-29
THE FEET.

II
and unhappiness, as through the
wearing Of too short shoes. T. w.
Higginson has written of ''The Muir
der of the Innocents'' in school. I
would write Of the cruel treatment
of the feet everywhere. The child,
with shoes ''outssa AT the toes" is Ia
ken to the shoe store, where all is
Difference and hurry. His old boot
is speedily unlaced and removed, and
a new one as speedily fitted on. He
is told to ''stand up" He does so.
The great toe reaches the end Of the
shoe, but as, standing, he feels no
inconvenience from this, it is pro-
nounced ''perfect fit." the money
is paid, and the child and mother
walk together out Of the store. Now
the misery begins, for as soon as the
length Of the foot is increased by the
raising Of the heel in walking, the
toes are pressed forcibly against the
end of the boot, causing with each
step greater pain. The child COM
plains; the mother, impatient, refus-
es to listen. "The shoe fitted; it
does fit; it shall fit; come along"
Once at home, he is silenced by an
cry repgoof, perhaps even slap Or
two are necessary to convince the
helpless little victim that there is no
appeal where shoes are concerned,
and he resigns himself unwillingly to
the situation. Meanwhile kind Ma
ture does her best to mitigate his
pains. She cannot lengthen the
sole of the shoe, which should have
been half a size longer than the foot,
to allow for the bend in walking, nor
can she prevent the pressure and
grinding at the large joint Of the
great toe, but she crowds up the
other toes at the first joint, and tries
to put her inevitable forces into width
instead Of length, since the "uppers"
consent to give way little. The
next pair of boots are got a triRe
longer, but not enough to balance
the added growth of the foot and the
marginal half size; and this state of
things lasts pretty much through
childhood, with rare and happy acct
Dental Interruptions.
The youth, now fully in his
"teens," is privileged to Judge of the
length Of his own foot; but, alas
very serious damage is already done,
and with those unoffending mem
bers, deformity has taken the place
of shapeliness. The joints Of the
great toe bulge out in an ugly way,
even if bunions are not plainly deter
mined. The second toe, it is not
unlikely, in seeking to escape the
torture imposed on it, has lodged
above its nearest neighbors. The
foot is wide, with hideous outline.
The stouter the shoes previously
worn. e., the longer they lasted
the growing foot-the greater the
violence done. And now,at fourteen
Or fifteen, when the lower extremi-
ties have attained their full'size, and
consequently look preturnaturally
large considered in relation to the
rest Of the body, the youth begins
to be the subject of the superstition
which demands small feet; and even
if these members have been judicious-
ly cared for hitherto, there is danger
that he will now be tempted to try
the csamping experiment. A little
sound advice and just information at
this critical juncture would serve to
allay his anxiety, and forestall the
wrong. He should be instructed
that beauty does not depend on size,
but on proportion ;. and that the feet
attain maturity, and cease to grow
at thirteen and fourteen, while the
rest Of the body continues for several
years to gain in height, breadth, and
fullness. Let him be patient, and
trust to Nature, who is far wiser than
man.
we sometimes meet with men who
f think that any indulgence in an af-
tectlonate feeling is weakness. They
will return from journey, and
greet their families with a distant
: dignity, and move among their chill
0 dren with the cold and lofty splen-
10. &C ~, nLo,.A.