Wichita eagle., 1889-10-08
HOW BABES FEET ARE SPOILED

Mothers Inaict Torture Their Little Ones
So That Their Feet May Look Pretty.
'sNow stamp down your foot, dear. That's
it, That shoe is too large. Let me see size
smaller"
''Really, madam, if you take my advice
began the shoemaker, but madam cut him
off with
81 want q smaller shoe. That one fits like
s SACK
The smaller shoes were put on the child, q
pretty little tot Of about years Of age.
They fitted tightly and showed that the foot
was very small one, but they pinched the
child and made it cry.
Mothers exhibit more vanity than judg-
ment in their selection of shoes for their
young children" said the shoe dealer, after
the lady had disappeared. to reporter who
wanted pair of russell ties lone will bring
her baby here and try pair of shoes on it
that will look real sweet / know what
that means and am always sorry for the
baby, who is usually in its first short dress,
and as skittish an old maid about having
its feet interfered with. | don't say | am
going to put shoe on it a size larger than
the foot seems, but | do; at least get it on as
well as one can when the foot is operated by
a perpetual motion power. Then | trust to
the mothers sense for results. If it's her first
baby she viii be indignant and say that she
does not want the treasure TO look sloppy in
his shoes. They must fit exactly or she won't
take them. ! tell her that the child's weight
will push the foot out at least one-fourth Of
an inch and that the shoe is just right. If
she objects again give up end find what she
wants The little foot is squeezed into a tight
shoe and the baby objects by squalling. She
saws the seraph is teething or hasn't had its
usual nap, and declares the shoes are just
lovely and papa will be delighted.
1.-THE chances are that when she wants an
other pair she viii leave the baby at home,
and bring down the old pair literally burst
out at the toes. She wants several pairs to
take home for trial, and notice that the only
ones | consider unsuitable she selects. Chill
dren would have better looking feet if they
had wise mothers, aud the fault lies in the
first shoes worn. One pair too short will ruin
the feet, no matter how loose subsequent ones
may be"
Then some women accept your adviceW
Eyes, after the little people have laid tho
foundation for corns and bunions. / know
many children between the ages of two and
three years who have both these Affections be
cause their mothers wanted them to look
cute"
SIS there no change in the shape Of chill
dren's shoesf"
''None. There can't well be, because the
sole must be sufficiently broad to stand the
wear and tear Square toes are preferred to
round, because they allow freer development
of the toes. In European countries they
make very stylish shoes for children. They
will have heels. pointed toes, patent leather
tips and so forth. Some mothers buy them
here, but the plain common sense shoe is the
BEST and the children, when they grow up,
will appreciate the fact by having perfectly
formed feet, free from corns. The spring
heel introduced few years ago is now worn
by children as young as two years DID, but is
more fashionable for children in their teens
1t is nothing but strip of leather inserted be-
tween the sole and that part of the shoe press
ed by the wearer's heel 1t is seldom that
smaller than No. S is made with regular
heel, and that on the common sense plan
low and broad"
"How are babies shoes numberedp'
''No. is the first size out Of babyhood. No.
0 has soft sole of white kid and pasteboard,
and is the successor of the knit wool boots
that are worn by babies in long dresses. Nos.
/. and have what is called the turned sole,
sewed together on the wrong side and turned
out. There are from four to five buttons on
the side. and black taSsel is now fastened at
the top in front. The latest is to have vamp
of French kid, with calf uppers, or, what is
still better, half boxed round toe, tipped
with patent leather New York Mail and
Express