Millheim Journal. [volume] (Millheim, Pa.) 1876-1984, 1885-04-02
AN ARMLESS LADY'S WAY
Deprived OF Arms, but Not a
Helpless Woman.
How She Threads a Needle, Writes
and Eats by the Aid Of her Toes.

"Now, let me show you what can
do dinner'll he here In just a mo-
ment. Thread q needle OF course I
can see p" and suiting the action to
the word, Mrs. Thompson picked up a
fine needle with the large and second
toe of the right foot, held it tightly be-
tween the tips and, taking some yarn
10 her left foot, rolled the end deftly on
a small smooth stone. put it in her
mouth by bending her body almost
double and deftly inserted the yarn in
the needle, more easily than a bachelor
threads d large needle with very fine
thread. Next she took handsome til
dy on which she was crocheting and
with remarkable deftness held the work
with her right foot, while with her left
she guided the needle in and out, catch
ing the thread with ease and fashioning
the figure as fast as my lady' IN the
sittingroom does with her soft hands.
Her right eye giving her some trouble
during this work, she deftly pushed
back the spectacles which she wore and
with the second toe rubbed the eye!id.
Then she bent forward aud brushed
back few stray hairs from her fore
head. Taking up the pen between the
large and second toe of her left foot.
and holding slip Of paper with her
right toes, she wrote in feminine
hand, small and rather neat "He
that lends to all shows good will but
little sense. Ann E. L. Thomps On.
Born witnout arms, December %. 1889.
Ga" This written, she put the pen
down, took up blotter with her left
foot, placed it over the writing and
dried the ink. Taking up pair of
large scissors with the large and third
toe of the left foot she cleverly cut off
the portion of the paper on which she
had written.
"Here comes my dinner. Now you
can see me eat-not that it's such a
sight, but you may find it odd to see one
eat with toes instead os fingers"
Mr.. Thompson spread out napkin
on the platform, and placed on it the
dinner of a person in good health.
Mrs. Thompson turned around in her
seat, took up cup of tea in her foot,
stirred it up with spoon held in her
right toes, and half bending, half rails
ing the cup to her lips, drank off the
tea and placed the cup on the platform.
Then she grasped fiat handled silver
knife in her left toes, caught a fork be-
tween the irst two toes of herright foot
and cut some steak into pieces. Part
of it was tough, but she had no more
trouble in cutting it than an ordinary
person would have. A piece of meat
held on the fork was transferred to her
mouth and was followed by piece of
bread broken from slice by her large
and second toes.
AS soon as she had finished this nov
el meal Mrs. Thompson continued : 81
forgot to tell you about my schooling.
Oh, yes, went to school. The pupils
were Knd and I had little raised plat
form for my use. held my books in
my toes and read and studied as well
as the rest of the girls. 1 held slate
in my right foot and a pencil between
the toes of my left and managed to fig
ure as well as anyone. My right limb
is shorter than my left, t,and learned to
write with my left foot, as you have
seen. learned all that was taught in
the common schools of Georgia before
the war;"