The herald., 1897-01-10

lens which have been veXing her pro-
gressive sisters of the western world.
This new departure calls for the abol
ton of footbindine. common among all
classes OF Chinese women. from the poor
creatures shaving in the rice fields to the
dainty bellies whose fathers hold lucra-
tive governmental offices. Everything
moves with tremendous sioWness IN
China, particularly inovations, and the
Performers expect that it will take cen
tury or moro to make the change com
piete.
The practice has existed for twenty
centuries and may have existed for forty
centuries. ana naturallj il viii be a diff
ficuit matter to root i out. The great
est problem 10 be overcome is tho aver.
sion of the Chinese men to marry women
whose feet are not squeezed into de-
formed objects. bearing little or no re-
semblance to the natural human foo.
AS the one ambition Gf the Chinese
girl and of her parents Is to marry, they
VIII undergo the toitures Of footbinding
10 realize the matrimonial state. \
woman who's foot is anywhere near the
size nature intended is an outcast SO far
as matrimony is concerned. The men
deem it a disgrace to marry her and an
unmarried woman is a burden to herself
and her relatives. With these conditions
to race, the reformers are counting upon
2 hard time of it.
NEVER ENDING TORTURE
The binding process is the acme of tor
sure, as the pain is incessant and ex-
tends over period of many years The
little Chinese girl usually enjoys the full
freedom of her feet until She is 4 or
years old. She can run about like other
children and can rest the full weight Of
her little body upon her fee without sur
fering exquisite torture
But all this is soon ,.toupad fnr il ic q
Gus tom, sanctitied by centuries, that n
Woman'S feet must not be more than
three inches in length. BY the time 4
girl is or her feet are already more
than three inches long, and then comes
the torture.
Narrow strips of silk nine or ten feet
dong are used by the fond parents to
crush the further growth The silk is
drawn tightly over the instep and then
carried over the four small toes and the
heel. The toes are drawn under the foot
and the pressure is so great that the
sole is almost forced into Z semicircle.
SCBDUlNG THE LARGE TOE.
The large toe is particularly difficult
70 subClue, and separate bands of the silk
are drawn over the member and carried
under the heel, squeezing it down with a
double pressure. Unyielding shoes.
made iron-like in strength. are crowded
upon the feet and the happy daya Of The
httle girl are over
The shoes are removed at night. but
the bandaSes remain night and day.
For the first few months the child Is an
able to move about except on her harls
and knees. The circulation Of the Blood
in the feet has beer choAed are the pres
sure of the body and tho exercise of
walking force the blno5 through the
Strangled veins. causing the most in
tense agony. This pain ia nothing how
ever, to that suffered when it is neces-
sary TO change the bandages every fort
night for fre@h ones. The sudden Ions
ening of the bands allows the blood to
shoot into the benumbed and deadened
feet, and the pain is oftentimes so eX-
Quisite that the child faints away.
Even the girls, VINO in later life must
perform the hardest OF manual labor
have their feet crippled. The spectacle
pf women working in the fields on their
hands and knees because their defo.,ned
feet ars unable to support the weight of
th BODY has had no effect upon the pa
rents OF other children. And the work.
FRS themselves bind the feet or their
yirls without the smallest twipge of con-
6eience.