Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1905-03-28

Il sokcited. Address: Editor HoNEMAKSRs
CoLUn, Oxford Democrat. Paris. Maine
An Ounce of Prevention.
An elderly lady laid down late maya
zine with an exclamation of delight. But
Immediately she sighed and added: "!ts
q pity such things were not written
forty years ago."
what is that?" asked, womanly
curious.
"Why, these articles on the care of
the feet; little, growing feet, not de-
formed ones like mine. All, how much
have needed exercise, and how ! would
have loved walking had not every step
hurt because of these cruelty tortured
feetw Then, more to herself than to me,
she went on:
"As rule, l think mothers are care
full in buying shoes for babies or small
children to get them quite large enough;
the mischief is wrought later when
children begin to have some say in the
matter-American children have too
much of it entirely too soon-in regard
to their clothes and footwear.
"Boys are impatient of anything that
binds, and rather pride themselves on
large feet because men have them, and
because they consider that it means they
are going to be tall, 80 they usually
escape, literally, footfree. {.
"But girl, with her innate love OF
things trim and neat, invariably chooses
a shoe as small as she can cram her soft,
flexible foot into, and declares it is all
right If her father has gone to the
shoe store with her, the phrase satisfies
him, he pays the bill, and exclaims, well,
that's donen
"But it has only begun. If the shoes
are exceptionally pretty and cost more
than she has been paying, the poor child
will suffer tortures rather than confess
her mistaken judgment. She keeps
thinking they will soon be broken In,
and bravely sticks to her bad bargain,
little dreaming that she is making life
long trouble for herself.
81 have never walked with any comfort
since was a girl of twelve, because OF
pair of handsome shoes given me at
that time by a wealthy relative. Mother
was too much occupied with sickness in
the family to notice my mincing, half
limping gait. l thought we were too
poor to throw away such expensive
shoes, and wore them full year. Be-
sides, they were such beauties! But
their shortness crowded back my big
toes, causing permanent enlargement OF
the joints which no chiropodist could
remedy; and their narrowness made my
toes overlap one another like poor little
shingles of flesh instead Of the sensitive
foot-fingers they should be. And in
stead of its being temporary hurt as
thought it, it was the beginning of
lifelong pain.
1T is because young, growing girls dc
not know the consequences of these
seemingly trivial acts that such article:
rs this need to be written. After ont
learns for herself, it is too late to helI
matters. How l wish l could cry il
upon the housetops! As a matter of fact
it is no extravaganza, if one can afford it
to pay high price to get well-cut shoes
for, besides being part of the finishing
in dress that gives tone to the whole
costume, they are as wise purchase al
good, nourishing food, as they help di
rectly toward good health, and facilitate
activity in almost every way. If expen
sive shoes cannot be bought, very care
full choosing of moderate-priced one,
will go long way toward accomplish
ing the same object, provided room il
allowed for the spreading of the foot il
walking.
Another thingr continued this sadly
wise woman. "Children do not value
their teeth because many of them do moi
know what toothache is.
when my brothers and were little
we had the wretched habit of chewing
all sorts of hard things. 1t was a sort o.
changeable fad with us. Some week.
we chewed coffee, my mother bought i
whole to be ground in our own mill
sometimes small nuts which We wOulC
crack in our teeth; then again we would
take fancy to chewing rice into paste
Since it did not hurt us then, VI
thought, of course, it was all right.
1t is no uncommon thing to find chill
dren in school chewing paper, lead pen
ellis, chalk, or even the corners of thei
books. A few years ago slate pencils
were bitten off and chewed up by ner
vous little folks with morbid appetites
Blessings on the teacher who will Civ
the children-not scolding, but wise
tactful little talk ON the care of th'
teeth and the stuff we put into ou
mouths.
Many mothers, CHANGING to catch ;
child in the act, will simply exclaim
Spit that out The little one will
obey, but the next time will do it bi
more slyly, thus adding the ugly habit
of secrecy to the chewing evil.
"Instead, let the mother sit down ant
talk quietly with the small offender
telling some of the sad effects of eating
such stuff, and adding, pleasantly
When you are hungry, come and tel
me- Fortunately, the new light on th'
education of mothers embraces nourish
ment as a science, and it is safe to sa.
that if child has all the good, nourish
ing food its system requires at meal
times, there will be little trouble IL
breaking the chewing habit, which i
often the instinct for food asserting itsel
| in mistaken way. How Mortified som,
Iaffectionate mothers would be to be tolt
this.
"Only those who are suffering from
poor teeth, Indigestion, and misshapel
| feet can tell what bit of care at thu
right time will prevent.
And this sadly wise woman sighet
again, partly for herself, as she though
of the years of discomfort by which slit
had paid for what she had done il
ignorance as child, and partly for TIN
many little ones to whom these years o
discomfort were coming.-New Idea.