The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1872-05-25
ncto,mcl Heads and Feet.

From the Philadelphia Record It,,
There is scarcely pursuit in lie 'ha'
lines not illustrate the fact that IaFgS
"or1 NJ Of the effort, OF mankind yield
pn,v dead sea fruit" Many modern
writer's draw some analogy between these
unsatisfactory "appIes" and some other or
" 1'sSiIS unsatisfactory delusion, fair to
I Ions mon but bitter in its irultion'
Women, even, have not been spared IL
,hs o apalorics. Their beauty, their
,noTI their hearts, have all been
lTt"ned 10 that proverbinl mass Of b!IteF
a.%"S nnder a lair exterior. And, OF
" ,'r a good part Of these comparisons
il concerned with feminine apparel me
0onnced pannier," with its Gamers
bUmD and grotesque projections IS
nothing but superiluOus dry goods anu
@Der, bundled up into inartistic forms
but al least, it can be laid aside at Will,
and the wcarer appear sometimes Us
nature made her. But alas for the head
and ieot when the present fashion shall
have rone The way Of deIunct modes.
Look at the fashionable ladies that you
may meet on any OF the thoroughlares
where fashion is wont to promenade.
Their faces arc soltened by clouds OF
puGy hair; their tiny toes just touch the
ground; to the poetical youth they look
lkc "angels" (save the panier) whose
locks have been dishcvclIed by some
heavenly zephyr Of "dreamland." But
even hero intrudes the smiles OF dead
sea fruit" On the steel Crimps Of the
night before that poor hair has been
strained and twisted till the roots are
loosCued, and. in n few years, perhaps
months, the Crimped locks will iall or
tnrn rray from this barbarOus treatment,
and Tic face which looked so lovely from
ont of its leCcy framework, drawn hard
under the Crimp torture, in q short time
will find its expression fixed.
Then the feet, "Oh, the pity. the pity
Of itlo Such diabOlical device as the
high, sharp.hceled boOtine is u physiolog-
icS enOrmity. The weight OF the whole
BODY is thrown on one weak point, tie
toes cramped in unnatural position, the
ankles strained and twisted, corns and
bunions delOrming the feet and producing
circulating pains, and the grand result u
Iimping and ungainly gait. To preserve
its equilibrium the figure bends forward
until the nose is somewhere on level
with the advancing foot.
These are serious and enduring evils
which will not pass away with the in.
auguration Of new fashions. Crimps will
have totally destroyed the hair, and high
heels the feet and walk. The time will
come when the lashiOnablcs OF to-day
will be pointed ut as the sparse.haircd
relics OF u suicidal era. Not that the III.
ture fashion may be any more reasonable,
but it will scarcely exact the hair, flesh
and bones of its vOtaries. Fashion likes
to carry the semblance Of deiormities as
far as possible, but she also likes to be
able to lay them aside at will. To roll
around like mountain OF flesh in Il
hOoped tub or the next day to float before
the Gdmiring eyes Of men in the slight
drapery and slender proportions Of q
Venus Victrix, all enters into her role OF
change-and TO DO charming in every
change at any sacrifice. But her favor.
ties are not those who labor under physi'
cal deIOrmities, which cannot be laid
down at pleasure. She can cover bald
heads with wigs, but prefers redundant
trcsses. II she inOugurates sweeping,
gliding motion, she has no use for twisted
ankles and crippled feet-in fact no use
for anything which cannot fall easily into
her protcan moods. Does she whose
IOitieSt ambition is to be leader Of the ton
anticipate the time when some halCgrown
"gawk" of the day will, in virtue Of her
uacrimped locks and uniniured feet, take
her place US tho true belle, aud she be
laid on her shelf" If SO, she will pause
in her course, discard the crimping irons,
and stretch her shoes with some regard
for physiological truths.
Wearep protesting against the reasonable
demands Of fashion, but only against
those by which her dictum OF to-day will
produce deiormitiCs and suffering Let
fashion confne herself TO the cut Of gar.
ments, and spare the bone and muscles,
which arc Of much more value than tin
:eland exterior show. Every deviation
from the laws Of nature and the require.
MentS OF health and comfort is certain 10
4 ~