Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-07-31

is most ungraceful methOo
of locomotion which threatens
all feminine newcomers to
Washington. That very perfec-
ton of levelness, at first causing such ex-
travagant admiration from woman tour
lists, Is eventually responsible for the
dreaded "broken-down arch" and lop-
sided heel. Members of the sO-called
weaker sex who have always lived here
are said not to experience much greater
discomfort from the composition and
"deadsameness" OF the streets Of this
City of Three Hills than their sisters do
elsewhere. although it must be admitted.
since physicians state 1t as a fact. that
their gait has only a little OF that spring
ing elacticity distinguishing those who
walk continually on an incline.
AS well known local physician ex-
pressed It the other day. When the en-
tire foot strikes the ground at the same
level the tendency Is to throw most OF
the weight on the heel II a shoe be worn
and on the toes II the walker is barefoot.
Our representative women not being In
clined as yet to emulate Greek goddesses.
the result Is lassitude or lack OF VI
vivacity in motion due entirely to the man
who laid out the town"
This element, however. suffers only in
at times when in some other city that
they Walk differently from its women
or that said women walk differently from
them-it is all IN the individual view
point-yet there 1t ends. But the alien
who comes radiant with expectations at
last realized to the City of Magnificent
Distances comes to interpret that title as
one of bitter aching mockery after day
of strolling about its too perfectly graded
expanses.
For. tn use the language OF the gen
eral public rather than that Of the men
Of medicine. there isn't sufficient 'pur-
chase for the foot on these fawiess,
seamless pavements. Feet from cities
like Baltimore. for instance where there
are many hills and the sidewalks tilt
at any angle except straight ahead, can
not easily become reconciled to this con-
tinuous stretch Of absolute equalness.
Divested of "a shoe, according to that
already quoted authority, the foot could
fit into the surface a bit more agree
ably and. besides, the walker would step
directly on the ball Of the foot In the
dancers. Boston women have very re-
Gently come nearest to this by appear
ing on the public highway wearing the
regulation stocking and leather sandals,
precisely like the kind ultra-modern
children and very ancient slaves are
always associated with. They are said to
be wonderfully comfortable and hideous-
ly ugly" so 1t is probable that they will
never get on In Washington.
The first indication the owner Of such
feet has that all is not we'll comes in the
form of a painful sense of loss at the
middle of the under side Of the arch II
feels as II part Of it had dropped away
and left the remainder an aching void. A
half benumbed. pricking sensation steals
over the entire foot and gradually each
step becomes an endurance test of pain
Hot baths. rubbings and alcohol mas
sages all contribute to greater ease and
by next m0rning--for these outbreaks
usually occur at night after the initial
days walking-the victim imagines her
pedal extremities have become aeciimat-
ed Vain delusion! The very first hours
OF walking about brings back the mis-
cry. increased tenfold. II the woman Is
one who has come to make her home here,
as time passes she will discover the high
ly priced instep of her well modelled foot
gradually flattening out like a ducks. y
And no matter how many pedestrian
clubs she may have honored elsewhere,
getting over ground develops into a
hideous necessity until she uses some
sort of support for the arch.' insists the
quoted physician; wears larger shoes
says the man who sells them. Very fire.
quently she does neither. but with that
cheerful defiance of every known law of
nature which the most timid of her iIk
will display, suffers until her feet would
feel bewildered on uneven streets and
then wonders how anybody could possibly
think Washington streets trying on the