Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1873-06-05
Misfflla,ifoils.
GIRLS BOOTS AND SHOES.
DR.. DIo LEWIS.

One 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 soles are perfectly
immense. Why, they are twice as broad
Us my foot"
"Miss b. will you be kind enough to take
off one of your shoes, and send it for
ward?" 1t was cheerfully and quickly done.
Henry, please bring the rule9 Now
we will measure this SOLE
Miss b., find this sole is two and one
half inches wide; do you think Your foos
is narrower than that %
"Oh! n great deal. That shoe sole i
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 present
ed herself.
Miss B.. will you be kind enough to
put your foot upon that sheet Of white pa
per? Now hold up your 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 meas
ure this mark, and see just how broad
your foot is. Why. Miss B., find that
your foot is three inches and three. quar-
ters broad no, stop, it is three inches
and seven-eights; no. stop again, it really
is four inches broad. Now what do you
think? You may take the rule and meas
ure yourself if you doubt it. The sole is
four inches broad y
'But, doctor, it is four inches broad only
when it is spread out by standing my
,t,o1c AsTrht, 81
Eyes, Miss b., but that is exactly what
takes place every time you step. This
shoe sole, which you thinh 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 leather holds the
foot, and prevents it 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 narrow sole. There
is an unsteadiness a sidewise vibration.
Besides, as she has not breadth of toe
enough. she cannot push her body for
ward in that elastic way which we all so
much admire.
again, the pressure of the upper leath-
er checks the circulation in the foot and
makes it cold If you check the circula-
tion in any part, it 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 ma
jority of girls have cold feet. 1t would.
indeed, be rare to find one with warm feet
like boy
Miss b. took her shoe and limped back
to her seat quite crest fallen. Now doz-
en- girls eagerly, put up their hands.
Six or eight other girls insisted on hav-
ing their shoes and feet measured, but
among them all we did not find one that
had less than an inch and quarter of foot
not matched by the sole.
Miss S. a quiet, earnest girl. rose and
said:
II have always thought that shoes
should have broad soles, and have tried
for wears to induce my shoemaker to give
me broad soles He always says he will.
but he never does. How can young la
ly get broad soles il the shoemaker won't
make them? | am sure | should be glad
to have mine as broad as the widest part
of my foot, but / cannot get them"
SURE WAY TO GET BROAD sOLES.
Miss s.. if will tell you how to in.
duce youl shoemaker to make the soles OF
your shoes as broad as your feet; will you
try itP'
II will, and should be very thankful
for the suggestion"
go to him and say, Mr.. Smith. please
let me put my foot on a sheet of paper,
resting my whole weight upon one foot,
and then. if you please, mark around II
with your pencil"
"Of course he will do it very cheerfully.
Indeed, for some purpose. which l am
sure no man can explain, shoemakers are
rcoSclrpEp on FOURTH rAGE.7