The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-09-14
SensibA Women Of Today Wear Sboes
 Large Enough And Saye Mncb Agony
Large Are More Fashionable Than Small OnesNo Misery Like Hurting" Shoes-Famous Queen Wears
 Shoes But Once.

"Why. I don't care what number I wear"
 You don't" she replied snappishly; well, I wish I didn't. l loathe big feet my ancestresses boasted of such tiny, little aristocratic feet, must come along and embarrass the family by wearing a. l nearly told you, didn't I?''
 Why. my dear, my grandmother wore a No. l, and my mother a 2, while I wear a-''
 Sort of an arithmetical progression in your family" she said jocosely.
 Why, large feet are the fashion, remarked. Everybody who is anybody is wearing large feet. The most beauti- ful woman I met while I was away this summer-a noted southern beauty-always has her feet always spoken of and they are constantly described as long and nar- row-that stunning kind.'
 well, I don't care who is wearing their feet large" responded my friend ''I like pretty little feet-fat and short-like adorable, and besides men just dote upon them. I have an old worn out shoe that belonged to my grandmother; faded little old thing of brocade, so small that it seems incredible that any grown up should ever have worn 1t, and I look at it now and then and think what I wouldn't give to get my foot in it."
 You probably could if you squeezed it." I blandy replied. q have heard that our grandmothers, because it was considered the proper thing, used to squeeze their feet just a wee bit and I've heard an old lady friend of mine say Yes, Clementina did wear a smaller shoe than I did-but then she had to sit with her feet on cushion when she had on her Sunday shoes, because they pinched so.'"
 T wouldn't care how they hurt, if only hadn't found out how large my foot is," she sighed. 1T would be willing to stand any amount of agony, only to have small feetN'
 q never knew such goose" I couldn't help saying. Except going to the den- lists, know of nothing worse than get ting new shoes, even when they are large enough. I remember how a news paper told of the Queen of Portugal never wearing the same pair of shoes but once, and if that is true it lends an ad- ded honor to her fate, for. an endless round of new shoes to my idea would be the worst thing that could possibly hap pen to any one"
 But, breaking shoes Is such fun" per- sisted my foolish friend. and your feet look so trim and neat"
 It reminds me of my childhood days" l recalled, when my shoes cried, and l had to stand in water to keep them rom doing so; and of limping to school and all that sort of thing. No. excuse me-never again will I wear the tight shoe expression I am like a very sensi- tive friend of mine who says when she wears tight shoes it lowers her vitality so, that she is sure to catch cold before she gets home Personally my temper becomes so irritable and my disposition so ugly when have on a tight shoe that my best friends dare not come near me and If you'll take my advice you will wear the sensible, up-to-date shoe which IS large enough long enough and broad enough. You will be far more agreeable and companionable. I'll wager, and cer- tainly more comfortable'