Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1893-03-09
BONES or THE FEET.
Here Is a story of Children Who ReaiI
Do Live In a shoe.

Do Live In a Shoe
"Our bone family numbers twenty
six, making ffty-two bones, in the pair
If us" said a foot. a girls foot, out be-
meath the summer sky, where young
feet like to stray.
II talked on. "We are called Right
Foot and Left Foot, to be sure. but
there Is not the same distinction be-
tween US as between the hands"
because" spoke up a hand, "your
chief work, of walking, is done on
equal shares.
aMy bones" said this foot, and it
ought to know, ''are arranged in three
oroups-back, middle and front bones.
Seven short and thick bones form the
heel and hinder part of the instep.
Above. where the foot is jointed
with the two bones of the leg, lies a
dice-shaped bone, resting partly on the
heel bone, which is the largest of the
foot bones. In front is placed a boat
shaped bone; next are three wedge
shaped, and the outer bone"
Here, the hands had O to say: 1T
Is interesting TO note that your toes are
Joined in the manner our fingers are. "
There is a general resemblance in
the structure of feet and hands" the
foot agreed. 81 was about to say that
five comparatively long bones slope
gradually from the instep to the balls
Of the toes"
'The object of many bones united"
explained one of the hands," is that
they may yield under pressure, moving
a little upon one another. A foot com
posed ola solid bone would be very stiff
and awkward, and easily broken"
Still instructing, the foot stated that
upon the form of the instep depends
much of its owners ability to walk
well, do standing work, or run and
jump A high arch serves the purpose
of a brace. such as builders put in
frames to render them strong and firm.
When a little child gets on his feet too
soon, while these bones are soft, there
is danger that they will settle and cause
the misshapen weak ankles and flat
foot"
Adelaide Somers, are you dream
ing?' cried a voice.
The girl started up from where she
sat leaning against a tree.
why, Selwyn! / vas just waiting
for you to come and begin our lesson"
she replied.
The young students now found the
place in a book ON physiology which
they had, and read that the ankle has
really three joints; n by which the
foot is bent or Strengthened on the leg,
one that permits the foot to swing in
ward and outward, and one which
favors the movement Of the fore part
Of the foot.
A wonderful structure is the human
foot, indeed. l knew a man who,
while mending a fence, slipped by acct
dent into a narrow space between
some poles. When his foot was drawn
out, it hung helpless, toes downward.
Observe what has just been said con-
eerning the first joint OF the ankle.
With the aid of a crutch made from
3 sapling, the unfortunate man hob
NN III W HIS uOLlCs III klCdb puAhs
doctor ordered a poultice.
isn't the ankle out of joint, doc
tOrg' asked the mans wife.
This doctor thought that might be
The case, but in his ignorance said:
The small bones there are put in as
earelessly as you would throw a hand
iul OF nuts to a child"
Now even children ought to know
better than that.
From time to time other doctors came
and left salves and liniments, and tor
mred the patient with bandages. He
suffered from the time young apples
were no bigger than peas, till they had
s"elled full size and were ripening IN
the boughs.
AT last, when the man was expected
@dle Of his hurt, they brought from a
Instance a famous surgeon. You would
hot have known for a foot the thing he
paced in a warm bath-so swollen and
feo' almost purple. The doctor sat by
NE couch and rubbed the limb gently,
reduce the Inflammation.
ms was at noon, and two girls and
sooy came in from school, sober and
alent and looked up at their mother
nqniringly. She told them the good
news that their fathers ankle had
Oeen set. The skillful doctor, while di-
,ecung his patients attention to the
harvest of golden pippins on a tree be-
aOte the window, had snapped the bones
-nIo place before he knew it.
Inc children forgot their dread of the
uoetor exclaiming: "We. are SO glad,
GOO doctor! If you hadn't come, we
should have had no dear papa in a lit
tie while
We are sure the surgeon in that mo-
Ient felt repaid for his faithful study
= me anatomy of the human foot.
ooes It not seem that the bone children
we're merry at being able to live in
-elr shoe again?-Layinia S. Goodwin,
our Little Men and Women.