Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1893-03-30
BONES OF THE FEET.
Here Is a story of Children ', 40 Really
DO Live In a shoe.

Do Live in a shoe.
Our bone family numbers twenty
six, making ffty-two bones. in the pair
of us, said foot, girls foot, out be-
meath the summer sky, where young
feet like to stray.
1t talked on. I'VE 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"
My BONES" said this foot. and it
ought to know, are arranged in three
groups-back, middle and front bones
Seven short and thick bones form the
heel and hinder part of the instep
Above, where the foot is iointed
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 boat
shaped bone; next are three wedge
shaped, and the outer bone
Here, the hands had more to say: ut
is interesting to note that your toes are
joined in the manner our fingers are. ="
There is 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 brace, such as builders put in
frames to render them strong and firm
When 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 fiat
foot"
Adelaide Somers. are you dream
ing?" cried voice.
The girl started up from where she
sat leaning against tree
why, Selwyn! | was 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; one 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 man who
while mending 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-
corning the first joint Of the ankle.
With the aid of crutch made from
a sapling, the unfortunate man hob
bled mile to his home, in great pain.
A doctor ordered a poulticc,
Isn't the ankle out of joint, doc
tor?" 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
carelessly as you would throw a hand
full 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
tured the patient with bandages. He
suffered from the time young apples
were no bigger than peas, till they had
swelled full size and were ripening on
the boughs.
At last, when the man was expected
to die of his hurt, they brought from a
distance famous surgeon. You would
not have known for foot the thing he
placed in a warm bath-so swollen and
red, almost purple. The doctor sat by
the couch and rubbed the limb gently,
to reduce the Inflammation.
This was at noon, and two girls and
a boy came in from school, sober and
silent, and looked up at their mother
inquiringiy She told them the good
news, that their fathers ankle had
been set. The sxillful doctor, while di-
recting his patients attention to the
harvest of golden pippins on tree be
fore the window, had snapped the bones
into place before lie knew it,
The children forgot their dread Of the
doctor, exclaiming: "We are so glad,
good doctor! II you hadn't come. we
should have had no dear papa in lit.
tie while
We are sure the surgeon in that mo
ment felt repaid for his faithful study
Of the anatomy Of the human foot
Does it not seem that the bone children
were merry at being able to live in
their shoe again?-Lavinia s Goodwin,
in Our Little Men and Women
WILLING TO SHOVEL.