Dear Sir, - One of your correspondents recently stated one seldom sees one-legged girls about. This is certainly true, and it is rather astonishing that, in view of the number of accidents that occur, both in London and the provinces as a result of which girls' legs are frequently amputated, monopedes are conspicuous by their absence.
Perhaps some of your readers who have suffered the loss of a leg can explain why this is, and when and where such people are to be seen, as it seems obvious that they must go about.
Having it fall to my lot a short while ago to see a charming girl, dressed admirably, hopping along on a pair of elbow crutches, for she was minus her right leg. Her remaining leg was encased in a silk stocking, and on her one foot she wore a very high-heeled black Court shoe.
She moved along quite gaily until she commenced to descend the stairs to the Piccadilly Circus Underground, and then I noticed that she somehow wavered before descending these, thus indicating to me a lack of confidence.
At Charing Cross, where stations had to be changed, the same hesitation was shown, especially when getting on the escalator, and it culminated in her single foot slipping on something, when first one crutch, and then the other, slipped from her grasp and she fell down lengthwise along the stone steps, rolling over and over until she nearly reached the bottom.
Fortunately, she was unhurt, only badly shaken. I and another picked her up; but, fearing she would be left standing alone, she first pleaded for her crutches, and after a short rest resumed her journey. But I observed that she was very shaky in mounting the next flight, and I thought she would topple backwards.
Now the point arises as to whether these elbow crutches are really safe. Had this girl used ordinary armpit ones, I doubt whether she would have fallen - certainly she would not have let go of them. The whole strain of the elbow kind being on the arms, and her confidence having left her, she was forced to drop them when she stumbled.
I do not think the cause of her fall was due to her single high heel, as she seemed perfectly at home on this.
Perhaps some of your crippled readers will give their views as to the safety or otherwise of elbow crutches for one-legged girls who wish to retain their undoubted attraction in having only one leg and desire that it should be shod in as high heeled a shoe as it is possible to wear.
An attractive girl with a single leg need to have no fear that she is marred by being a cripple, for if she dresses that one leg and single foot of her attractively, she has a far greater appeal than have her two-legged sisters.
I should like to congratulate "Another Monopede" on the excellent snaps you published, and to express the hope that she will send you another taken standing on her crutches (as she promised) and wearing her one very high-heeled Court shoe. Perhaps, too, she will tell us what height this heel is, and if she experiences any difficulty in negotiating stairs wearing an ultra high heel, having only one leg and using crutches.
Yours truly,
A Mere Man.