Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1902-03-10
Little Feet for Women.


land I do not exaggerate) That II Is
tender point with womankind.
The. Chinese have had the FAD for
a century uppermost in their minds. why
II has been thought necessary to bind up
a female foot. to- promote beauty or at
Effectiveness in the woman would be hard
to understand. but we do know that the
great majority OF all the sex travel
through life with corns. bunyons. ingrow-
ing nails and such like; perhaps traceabie
in ninety cases out OF every hundred to
shoes that were too narrow. too short or
generally too tight for comfort, because
small feet were the fashion. And this
discomfort is not confined to the luxurious
class OF our women-far from 1t.
A great lout Of an overgrown negro girl
was employed in our house for three
weeks OF this year. After she got into
her shoes Of a morning. she could scarcely
walk for awhile.
I noticed her shoes were running down
at the heel and had little fine gashes In
the leather over her toes in various
places.
your shoes are too SMALL said to her
as she moved along with a hobbling gait.
What number do you wear?"-thinking
of a new pair for her.
Desc is skies man. but dat's my num-
ber-I wears skies"
When Fights might have been too small
to be comfortable, this poor colored girl
was enduring agony to say she wore
skies. There would seem TO be no posi-
bic excuse for such folly. but II is so well
nigh universal that IL becomes a very
serious question indeed. as to the valid
reason for its continuance.
I verify believe the fashion Of wearing
sweeping skirts has had good deal to DO
with the supposed necessity for hiding
the feet. in shoes that are endurable as TO
size.
And the newspapers occasionally re-
mark upon the enjoyment young dudes
take. by standing In frequented places
where ladies descend from carriage steps
OF down other steps. and where the size
and shape Of the feet can be noticed and
remarked upon by the idlers who have
nothing better to do. In some American
cities.
II this happened in China where COM
pressed feet were and are still national
product no wonder need to be openly ex-
pressed. but in America. II Is very diff
cult 10 understand and more so, TO explain
why the size Of woman's foot should be
so important or so attractive to by
ISLANDERS. who comment on the size.
Perhaps we may be told that We dress
the feet more sensibly now than we did
50 years ago. I think that is true. be-
cause slippers were the general footgear
- --N--~~f "---~~- 49, -
that time.
AS a rule. the work-day shoes OF a far
mer's home were made at home. and they
were made strong and expected to last.
but when the women folk put on their
Sunday best they put on slippers or pru-
nellas to match the Sunday clothes. A
dear old lady who lived until she was in
a few years OF ninety often told me Of
her wedding outfit. She had fine white
dress TO be married ina French muslin
for second day-a changeable silk for
the third day. and another silk. not quite
new. for the fourth day. What sort OF
shoes? I asked.
slippers and prunellas." she said. And
the wedding came along in March, a cold.
sleety windy spell, but that French mus
lin and cloth prunellas went together at
the Unfair" which was the next days
gathering at the groom's house.
But the long frocks were helpful to hide
the feet that wore four's. hve's and some
times skies. on those precious feet that
were so helpful in the new homes to which
these brides Of the good old time went
after the wedding frolics were over. Per-
haps there is a better reason for this
loneliness about the size of women's
feet than I have given. The sex Is gen.
orally infected with the idea and 1 am
one OF the sex also. and able to speak on
the subject, because / am one OF the sex.