The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1891-04-01
A RARRARIc FASHION.

"How cunning these children look
with their bare little legs" exclaimed
a pretty girl on Connecticut avenue a
day or two ago. calling attention to three
youngsters who, though the air was
bitter cold, were playing in the street.
One of them was small girl of about
z years. says the Washington Star.
with skirts so short that her fairy
limbs were visible in their nudity from
mid-thigh to three inches above the
shoe, where the short sock began.
ugh" growled the physician who
was the young lady's companion in her
promenade.
Yes" she said; it looks rather cold;
but it's the swell thing now, you know.
and awfully English!"
ugh! Coffins are stylish, too, 1 sup
pose"
why, what can you mean?"
Simply this" responded the man of
medicine. 'Of all the idiotic notions
am acquainted with the one you call
my attention to is the most gibbering
and driveling. The ground on which
it is defended is that it makes children
hardy to go bare-legged in winter. As
matter of fact it is an outrage upon
the laws of nature. Go up to the
regions within the arctic circle and
you will find the children playing
about in the snow with their bodies
often nearly unclad. But their arms
and legs are always warmly wrapped.
Now. why is that?"
II can't imagine"
''Then let me tell you. 1t is because
the trunk of the body. being the seat
of the vital organs, is naturally warm
er and has more vigorous circulation
than the limbs. Why is it that your
feet and hands on frosty day get
cold first? Obviously for the reason
that they are most remote from the
heart. Therefore they need protection.
Likewise the arms and legs require
covering most. Keep the limbs warm
and the body will be warm; that is the
Esquimaux principle, and it is true
one so far as 1t goes. But here we
have, largely for fashions sake, child
rem running about in an atmosphere
that is below freezing with their bodies
warmly clad and their poor little legs
exposed"
''But they look very healthy"
Undoubtedly. Were they not
healthy children they would have sue.
cumbed to this abominable practice in
dress long ago. But no health is so ro.
bust as to be able to afford to invite
pneumonia and other kindred ills which
are always ready to attack the most
sturdy person who risks imp rudence
OF course that does not matter-it i.
really English. What sort of shoes
are those you are wearing?"
''Shoes!" said the pretty girl, some
| vub 70 Ion hu sGWhr fhoI
are quite new and very nice pair,
think"
DO you?" grunted the physician
''What right have you, pray. to veal
shoes at this season with soles an eight
of an inch thick? More colds ar
caught in that way than in any other
Not so much on day like this as on
warm day. You said few moment
ago that you had a bad cold: Proba
bly, you caught it during the last warn
spell we had. You went out with sue
pair of shoes on. The Temperature
of the air around you was about So de
grees; the bricks you walked upol
were evaporating moisture. Evapora
ton makes cold. That is the reason
why cologne, which evaporates quickly
makes you cool when you rub it upol
your face. So, while your body wa
warmed by the sun, your feet wer'
being refrigerated at temperatur
below freezing. Result, cold. Yo
hear people say every day: II cam
imagine where 1 caught this cold;
have not been imprudent any way tina
I know Of" The secret of it is simpl
that they have been wearing the thi
soled shoes. Suppose that the sole be
comes damp, even though the foot
not made wet-the water furnishes th
best possible medium for conductin
the heat out of the body. The NOR;
wear shoes with good, thick sole
throughout the winter season.