The Saline County journal. [volume] (Salina, Kan.) 1871-1893, 1876-07-20
tkiaese Foot DehrmlIF.

The other day heard that Chinese
lady of rank had lately come with her
husband on visit to Santa Barbara,
and her feet were only two inches and
three-quarters long. Making inquiries
of our laundry boy, All Foy, as to where
the Chinese lady with little feet could
be seen, he told me her husband was q
cousin of Sing Lee, proprietor Of a wash
house in town, and she was staying
there.
Sing Lee courteously conducted us
through the dark wash. house, where
men were beating clothes with bamboo
sticks, scrubblng them in the suds with
bamboo brushes, and Chinese boy was
cooking dinner in q big pot over q little
furnace, TO o range Of bcrths like those
of ocean steamers, and lifting the cur
tain of the bed, introduced us to the
lady by saying: "This is my cousin"
The woman Immediately rose from the
bed on which she was sitting and extend
cd her hand TO each Of us, saying, allow
do" Her husband was sitting by her
side, holding boy year old; be was
also very pleased at our visit, and proud
of the notice we took of bis boy, who
was already dressed in trousers and
gown, and wore O red silk turban cap
on his head. The wife was more ele-
gantly dressed than any Chinese have
yet seen. Her hair was deliberately
dressed, and fastened up in puffs and
coils by long daggca-shaped pins of gold.
Her gown or robe was loose, extended
to the knee; and had big, loose sleeves,
distended by hoops; her robe was Of
dark blue silk, embroidered with yellow
and red silk; her arms had several
bracelet ornaments her hands were
small and well formed, and covered with
rings; sho wore big hoops Of gold in
her ears she had pretty face, oval
shaped large eyes, small mouth and dim
pied checks. She smiled frequently as
we converscd with Sing Lee, but took
no part IN the conversation. think
she only could speak a very few senten-
ccs. When / said we wanted to see her
foot, she evidently understood, for she
laughed, and put out her tiny, pointed
slippers. | got on my knees, and took
her foot in my lap and examined it
closely, and measured it. The foot and
leg wero bound tightly in white satin,
apparently scwed neatly around til
limb. There were bands Of gold around
her ankles her ankle measured ten
inches in rcuE.fercnce at its smallest
place; her foot was two and thlee-quar-
ter inches long, two inches broad in the
middle, and one inch at the toes over
the white satin band or stockings she
wore blue satin slippers, embroidered in
silver. The slippers came almost TO a
point at the toe. Sho could only walk
by aid of her cane. which was on the
bed beside her. Even with its aid her
walk was limping and painfully slow.
Tho doll baby foot, SO deliberately deco
rated in blue and silver, hanging to the
big ankle, which was, of course, dispro-
portionately large, looked anything but
handsome, according to my standard OF
moulded limbs and feet.
Her legs looked like sticks of wood
whitfield down to point for foot. But
she was evidently very vain of her de-
iormity. Her baby, one year old, had
feet five inches long, but he was boy
and entitled TO masculine freedom of
Barbara (Cal) COrreSpon-
dence Of tie Louisville C0Urier-JourndE.