Dear Sir, - I was very interested in the letter "What Love Will Do," in your last double number. One hopes that the poor one-legged girl will soon be happy with the one she loves.
From time to time you publish letters from limbless girls, and these show that a one-legged condition has a real appeal to many people. On the other hand, you have had letters from others who look at their loss as something to be almost ashamed of and hidden as far as possible. All this shows the vast difference in people's mental outlook.
In my own case, I suppose I must always have had the limbless complex, though unknown to me. At all events, when my leg was amputated and I began to recover, I well remember the distinct thrill which my one leg gave me. The novelty of my crutches, my single shoe, etc., were all a source of interest for me, I felt a kind of pride in the fact that my amputation was a high one.
I suppose I really enjoyed the pity of all my friends. My slender black crutches were my constant companions, and I remember the curious stares that followed me as I hopped along on them.
I thoroughly enjoyed mastering all the little difficulties of my new condition, and really liked hopping about on my single leg when I was at home.
I have two sisters who are of an athletic disposition, fond of tennis, swimming, golf, etc., and to them I suppose they regarded my life as ended with the loss of my leg. Often I have seen them in tennis frocks gaily setting out for a party, whilst I had to follow with my mother, hopping along on my single little slipper. And yet, in spite of this, I found all the men ever so kind to me, and I was often surrounded by quite a little throng.
I cannot help being a cripple, and see nothing to be ashamed of. I wear pretty frocks and a smart little shoe on my single foot. At home, like other of your correspondents, I constantly hop about without crutches, and get quite a thrill from it.
After all, it is nice to be different from other girls. There are hundreds of pretty girls about, but the possession of a little pair of French crutches and only one leg marks one out at once.
Yours truly,
Happy On One.