Dear Sir, - As I am a foreigner, my English is very bad. If you like to publish this letter I beg you respectfully to letter it out before publishing. But I hope altogether that I will be able, notwithstanding my wanting of knowledge of your language, to make my idea clear.
In your interesting paper the phenomenon of attractiveness of crippled girls has been treated. This topic interests me very much, and it is mainly because it is treated in "London Life" I am a regular reader of it. In fact "L.L" is the only paper in the world - so far as I know, at least - in which appear letters of sympathy with cripples.
In your number of October 19, "Crippled Girl" expresses the view that crippled girls are not attractive at all. She means, of course, that nobody can be attracted to them. She adds the advice to her unfortunate sisters to hide their mutilation as much as possible.
I fear her advice will exercise a very bad influence on the feelings of her sisters in misfortune.
For those, who are already unfortunate enough, it must be a little consolation, to now that some members of the opposite sex are specially attracted to them, and that for these man their crippled state is a kind of superiority instead of inferiority, as it is, of course, in the eyes of the big public.
It is, of course, difficult to estimate the percentage of the male population who are affected by monopedes, but their number cannot be so small. I think, because I, being an orthopaedist, have seen in my practice so many amputees marry after their amputation, that the number of admirers must be many times greater than one would be inclined to think at first.
To one-legged girls I would give this counsel: Don't conceal your misfortune. In the eyes of people you can't conceal it effectively, since no artificial leg really hides the mutilation - save in case of amputation of the foot; but even then, if you get married, your husband will discover your amputation. In the eyes of people like myself, you harm yourself by concealing it, because you are much more attractive on crutches or a peg-leg than with an artificial leg.
I don't believe a "normal" man will marry a crippled girl, so all concealment is absolutely useless. For a crippled girl the only chance to be loved is to be loved by a man who has my ideas. And to attract such a man, you must show your "misfortune" instead of concealing it.
My own wife is a monopede, and I adore her, only because she assists me in my business she is obliged to wear an artificial leg while working. But at home and on Sundays when we go out she is always on crutches, with relatively short skirt, high heel, etc. In a word, she adds as much allure to her one-leggedness as possible.
"Crippled Girl" calls this "the perverse parading" of her ills. Well, let it be a perverse parading. If it is a perversion, it is certainly a very innocent: one. And why should a one-legged girl not try to be attractive in the eyes of the only people who can be attracted by her? May be it is a perversion, but then a salutary one!
"Crippled Girl" mentions some lessons given in the schools for crippled children. The first one - "Do not dwell upon your inferiority" - is very good, in my idea. The second - "Try to disguise your crippled state-," etc. - very bad, at least as concerning one-legged girls.
Of course one of the biggest attraction of a monopede lies in her easyness of movement, her being very alert, notwithstanding her infirmity. But talking about the matter and attracting public attention to her defect can be very charming, if done in the right way.
All this applies, of course, also to lame girls.
Yours truly,
Monopede Admirer.