Dear Sir, - The very interesting letters from one-legged lady readers that appeared in a recent issue prompts me to send a letter myself, as I happen to be yet another one-legged lady reader of your paper.
I am 26 myself, and have lost my left leg about 6 inches from the trunk. I was glad to see that all letters recently published by one-legged lady readers were so cheery and optimistic. People sometimes think that a girl who has lost a leg, especially if she is pretty, must be frightfully miserable and too wretched to care what becomes of her. This is by no means so. They are usually just as cheerful and happy as an other girl.
At first, as I know, it is a terrible blow, and you want to do away with yourself. But it is wonderful how things brighten up later on. You can get used to anything, and now I never think about it. As a matter of fact, especially if you are pretty and if you dress a bit on the extreme side, having only one leg makes you conspicuous in a way, and, to tell you the truth, I rather enjoy that.
There is just one thing in the last two letters sent by one-legged lady readers that I'm sorry that I can't agree with. Both these girls wear wooden legs, not the natural shaped artificial ones, but the peg-leg kind. I hope they will forgive me for saying that I personally would be utterly miserable if I had to wear one. I think the look of an ordinary wooden leg below a pretty frock would be most displeasing and unbecoming, besides giving a very stiff and unnatural walk to the wearer.
I'm afraid if I happened to turn up with one, my boy would be simply horrified. I don't like artificial legs either and neither does my boy. He likes to see just one leg below my very short frock; and if I may say such a thing, as I have a well shaped leg and a small, neat foot, the effect would be completely spoiled, in my opinion, by wearing an artificial leg or even an artificial one.
I have to use crutches, of course, and I can't say I am very fond of them. But they don't interfere with the look of your figure, and you can cultivate a graceful walk on them. And you can always put them out of the way as for instance, when sitting in the house.
My boy likes the look of my one leg well displayed from above the knee when I am sitting down. He thinks it is very fascinating, and I am sure he would hate to see a wooden leg sticking stiffly out.
Another thing that might just be a little personal fad of my own is that the wearing of an artificial leg of any kind as people know that have to wear them - completely spoils the shape of the stump and keeps it fleshless and boney. Maybe I am fastidious on this point, but I like to keep my stump as nice and well-shaped as any other part of my body.
I hope my very charming one-legged fellow readers will understand that I am only giving my personal opinion on these things. They have found the wearing of wooden legs useful and enjoyable, and thrilling, and I am very glad, for their sakes, that they do. But I am afraid I would no pleasure out of such a thing.
May I take this opportunity to thank very heartily Mr. Wallace Stort for his most wonderful story in the splendid Summer Number? I think it was one of the most amazing stories ever written, and with most fascinating illustrations. Of course, it appealed specially to me, I would have simply loved to have been with Sonia in that wonderful club.
My boy was, if possible, even more excited over it than I was, and is keeping a copy as a most unique souvenir. We were both sorry we missed the other story mentioned, "The Tattooed Butterfly," we are living in hopes that Mr. Stort will write other adventures of La Belle Monopede, who is certainly one of the most unique heroines I have ever come across.
Please will "Elsie C." and "High-heeled Monoped" write again and also other one-legged lady readers? There seems to be quite a number of us, I am very glad to say and it is certainly splendid to find a paper like "London Life" bringing so much pleasure into our lives. It would be splendid if, as has been suggested, features about one-legged girls could be published from time to time.
Wishing you all success, and hoping this letter is not too long,
Yours truly,
"Another One-Legged Girl"
(A thrilling article by Wallace Stort on "The Fascinations of the Limbless," appears in our Autumn Annual. - Editor.)
PHYLLIS LYNTON (Sheffield) - Obliged for your good wishes. We will endeavour to give further experience of limbless girls surmounting their misfortunes.