Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1890-09-10

them; they are as much alive as any
part of us.
This being granted, let us look at
the structure of the foot There are
seven bones which form the heel and the
arch of the foot, allied the tarsus; then
there are five more just in front OF
these, called the meuatarsus. The toes
| contain IA bones; the great toe two,
and each of the others three, all most
perfectly fitted together, with muscles
| and tendons SO attached as to allow per-
| feet freedom of motion in every parti
but though In art the human foot S;
considered beautiful, with its natural
curve, its individual toes, and its fine
arch, it is only tolerated in everyday
| life Except IN case of infants), after II
has been nodded in fashionable shoe.
Nearly the whole weight of the body is
supported by the arch of the foot; but
| this whole weight is thrown forward
! when the foot rests upon high heels,
! placing the body in the same position
it would be In when descending a steep
hill or roof. All architects when erect
ing a building of whatever dimensions,
lay the foundation true and plumb.
What a strain would be upon every part
of the structure, were some law pro-
claimed requiring a great wedge TO be
inserted beneath one side OF the whole
buildingi Every beam and rafter
would groan in the false positionl and
yet in the House Beautiful" which
tue greatest of all architects has
planned. we destroy the harmony of all
its parts by wearing heels on our shoes.
thus shifting the center of gravity from
its natural position and necessarily
throwing the body into an unnatural
poise. The whole body must suffer the
consequences; tho little sympathetic
| tha Il % @a1A
graph news to the brain. 1t is claimed
by good authority that high heels are
undoubtedly one cause of the round
| shoulders SO common among women
and girls; and the lame or weak backs,
and the tired feet, are more often due
to the strain upon the body caused by
the heels on our shoes, than we have
any idea OF.
Mother. put stiff, ill-ftting. high
heeled shoes on their children's feet,
ignorant of the permanent injury they
are thus likely to cause; and though
| the little ones wall against the lntilc-
ton, bear it they must. No wonder it
almost brings them an idea of heaven
when thev are permitted to go bare
footed. The muscles and nerves then
recover their normal power; the foot
| regains its natural shape; and it Is
largely for this reason that 1t seems to
cause such unusual discomfort when
one who has been accustomed to going
barerooted, is required to put on boots
or shoes. at is mainly due to the
special developement of the great toe
IN a line with the long axis of the foot
| that man is enabled to exercise the at
tribute, in all ages regarded ~ a noble
| one of standing erect" 1t is import
| ant that the shoe sole should allow the
great toe to occupy its natural position;
but the modern toe is made without re-
gard to the rights of individual toes;
on the contrary, it is made as if the
toe were in the middle with graduated
smaller ones on each side. This bend
ing of the great toe 30 far from its
normal position tends to enlarge the
joint, and frequently bunions are the
result, while the smaller toes suffer
from corns and painful oallosities OF
various kinds, on account Of the ill-fit-
ting shoe. The pressure of the shoe
upon the foot retards the circulation of
the blood, and, together with the insc-
ton caused by the cramped position,
| weakens the nerves and muscles SO that
walking, that exercise which, more
than any other. brings every portion of
the system into heslthful activity" is
most e1hsusting for a woman. No one
can enjoy this delightful, healthful ex-
shoe, in which the muscles have no free
dom of action when the great toe is
bent at an angle of As degrees, and the
lIttle toe and its nsighbors spend their
energies in trying TO curl themselves
into the least possible space. Many of
the diseases olassed undcr the head of
general debility would pass away if only
proper shoes we're worn, and walking
a fashionable exercise.
James Dowie, q practical as well as
| theoretical Scotch shoemaker, was so
enthusiastic that he studied the loot
under skilful anatomists and sent his
| lourneymen to course OF lectures on
the feet. He enumerates the principal
evils to be that shoes are worn too
short; that they are too narrow at the
toes, and In the sole, and that the sole
does not conform to the inner curve OF
the foot, and is too stiff and unyielding,
while the heel Is too high, leaving little
to be commended in them. Dame Fash
Ion has decreed, in the latest styles,
that the sole shall turn uP at the toe
one more evil to contend with, for when
the sole turns up 81 the toe ID prevents
the free action of the heIor muscles, IN
drawing the toes to the ground in walk
ing.
Speak to almost any shoemaker
against the high heel, the narrow toe,
the unlIkeness of the foot to the shoe 1t
must wear, and he will set you down as
peculiar, to say the least. But it is
well said that it is fruitless enterprise
to attempt to overrule fashion. We
have been accustomed TO narrow, high
heeled, symmetrically soled shoes, and
though We suffer for il every day of our
lives, we persist in wearing them. We
join with the sculptor il the admiration
of the human foot, and why shoe to
fit it should be an sbominstion to cul-
tlvated people is a mystery. Why the
ideal beauty among enlightened civilized
people should be the small waist and
little foot is equally an unsolvable pro-
blem. We have grown up with the
idea that each foot is a separate, single,
symmetrical organ in itself, with the
great-toe in the middle. But we really
have a right foot and left foot, as
much as we have a right hand and left
hand, and the shoes should correspond
with this difference, as our gloves do.
When We look ut our bare feet, 1t seems
almost like bsrbsrism to put them into
the modern fne shoes.
I saw 9 pair of Queen Elizabeth's
slippers in the Tower in London, with
heels SO high they must have given her
the appearance of standing in a perpet-
usl bow, but surely we have had time
to outgrow the vanities which occupied
her mind, and are now capable of
/ az Aar IaA.