Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1880-02-27
no Coming Leg.

marx = lifted to the visible legs OF the
male -, ince II Is obviously impossi-
/ ble no. hin any data concerning that
large dg OF esoteric legs, the very ex-
/ isisnA which Is conyentiOnally "
| nore.I 4 can only be limited at by the
consR ious anatomist, when the in
/ ters.E science demand such a sacri-
/ ice BlpersOnal feeling. Nature can
turuko head, faces, bodies aud arms ot
| adndrIe workmanship, but legs re-
onire ore care than she is usually dis
possa give them. We are so accus-
touie, ~ Imperfect legs that We seldom
noSc, he deficiencies Of the average
IL artists and anatomists sre fully
ma hat the ideal leg IL az rare as an
| ILL clean New York street.
H. pite OF its imperfection, the mod
"A /. is useful and by no means ugly,
al, closely scrutinized. In most
- Il is sufficiently straight for all
IN, tal purposes, and, when clothed
IN competent tailor, presents almost
nh .tractive appearance. Our legs
III, q be a great deal worse than they
~ ,nd II the gloomy prophesies OF a
a. more anatOmist are worthy OF
~ /, our grandchildren will speak OF
hqrcsent day as the halcyon period
al -, and will wish that they could
a, ,ange their best legs for the very
n II Oi those now in common use.
he Baltimore man assures us that
N human leg Is about to undergo
srtlng aud painful changes. The next
g,eration will be knock-kneed. and its
SldIen will adj TO this popularity
at OF bowl eggedness. The leg Of the
ture will thus be- shaped like the fa-
lliar typographical sign known as a
race" The upper and the lower leg
IN each have a bold curve outward and
lc knees will be in close proximity. A
tore varied and objectionable style Of
~ has never been placed before the pub
ic. and We Casnut look forward TO it
without dismay.
The cause which is thus to blight the
cgs of our innocent descendants is the
present fashion OF female dress. The
Baltimore person asserts that the ex-
r,mely narrow skirts now in use bring
lac knees OF the women into close prox-
unity. aud produce the deiormity pOpu-
aIly known as "knOCk.knee.' What
with the narrow skirt.wcarers OF this
generation Is an acquired deiormity will
b. a congcnial deiOrmity in the next gen
ration. The vast majority 0f chill
iron born since the introduction
ii narrow skirts knock their wretched
little knees together since the day Of their
birth, aud comparatively stralght-leg-
,rd child under three years Of age Is, our
Baltimore authority assures US, very
rarely seen.
Now, the next generation will try To
cure this defect by cndcayOrlng To bring
.he feet close together. This is the uni
'nrm. though ignorant impulse OF all
knock knrcd persons. The effort SIM
DIV produces "A new dcformity by bow
M the lower lex, while il has no bene.
.icial effect upon tho knees. The at
.cmpt ui our children to straighton
.hoir legs will entail bow loggedness up.
lu our grandchildren, who will be born
With the brace shaped legs already
described.
A diagram published ia the San some
,cars ago, aud puTportlng t0 be II dla-
:ram 1t the legs OF a certain Deacon
smith, gives an excellent idea Oi the
general design OF the coming leg.
THIS is an alarming picture, and 1t do
rrvrs our serious attention. lithe Bal
imurc ANTAGONISTS premises are right,
ais conclusions must bC admitted, and
Ne must recognize the fact that the legs
Il the future are in imminent peril But
: Il absolutely certain that hls premises
Irr trustworthy Ills whole argument
csts upon the alleged fact that a class OF
rs at which the average man neither
SHOWS nor can know anything are so
OnlinCd 10y the naTTOwnCss Of thd mod
Tn skirt that their assumed knees are
sept in close contracts Now, 1t ~, To
az the least, highly improbable that
lac Baltimore man il an expert in this
natter, and that hc has been able 10
object data which have hitherto been
,cyuud the reach Of scientific men,
Iis assertion in regard to the unknown
.uccs ui which he speaks so COOlly and
uufdcntly, is directly Contra1icted by
'rolraSur Hardness, Of the Smithsonian
institute, who, in his able paper entltl-
"a ~ New Theory Oi the Narrow Skirt,
With much plauslblllty, that
lac Affect ui the skirt is to force one knee
behind the other, so that
hc Hypothetical legs are placed, so To-
peak, iu column instead Of line. Al
huugh the Professor expressly admits
nat his theory is conicctural one,
icking proper data Tor its foundation, II
a apparently entitled 10 quite as much
rrdit as that Ut the Baltimore anato-
mist. unless the latter has really accu-
uulatrd data oi which he makes no
mention,
There is. then, no sufficient reason to
DESPAIR oi the legs Oi the future. They
viii probably he much the samr IN plan
mi detail as the legs 81 this generation.
indeed, they may he even better.
lost things, except the Democratic par
y. improve as the time goes ON, and 1t
/ unite possible that the coming lex
nay be- Il vast improvement upon tho
-. visible or conjeCtural, oi the pres
mt crutury.-N !. Times.