Dear Sir, - I am a crippled girl with only one leg, having lost my right leg last year in rather unusual circumstances. And as I have seen some letters in "London Life" from crippled girls, I thought your readers might be interested to hear from one who has only recently learned to get about on crutches.
I was walking along the street in a small country town when a cricket ball, thrown by a youngster, hit my ankle. I thought little of it, but when I reached home I found that a small open wound had been made, and evidently the dye of my stocking had got into it and poisoned it, and I had to go into a nursing home.
I was then told that I should have my foot off, and possibly lose my leg. This troubled me a lot, as I was accredited a very pretty girl, and my beautiful legs were the envy of many and a great joy to me.
After three operations, I was left minus my right leg, having undergone a very high amputation, so high that it was useless to even contemplate wearing an artificial limb.
I was only 20 at the time, and when I fully realised that it meant being crippled for life and condemned to get about on crutches without hope of ever wearing an artificial limb, I broke down completely.
Later on, however, I heard what troublesome things they are, and I was glad that I had been made so crippled as to make it impossible to wear one. I am afraid I worried a lot at the thought of not being able to wear a high-heeled shoe, as was my wont, but in time I have found that it is quite comfortable to wear a Court shoe with a 3 inch heel on my one and only foot, and I am hoping that when I get more expert in the use of my crutches I shall be able to wear at least a 4 inch heel, which I used to do when I had two legs.
A curious change has recently come over me, for now that I am more accustomed to crutches and look upon them as my best friends, I can honestly say that I would not be the possessor of two legs again even if I had the chance.
I can fully appreciate the view of "One Leg", who wrote in your columns some time ago. I get any amount of attention from people - chiefly men - far more than I should have done if I had still two legs.
People are wonderfully kind, and help me quite a lot in the difficult circumstances a one-legged girl often finds herself in
My empty skirt and solitary high-heeled shoe seem to give my friends as much interest as they da to me, and I must say that my one and only silk clad limb is much more attractive in its single shapeliness than it seemed to be when it had a companion. I always use two crutches, as only one produces an ungainly gait.
If any of your one-legged girl readers will give me a few hints as to how to become really proficient in the use of crutches, I shall be grateful; for, content as I am to be a cripple, getting about and resting on my crutches all my life, I am still a novice, and such things as getting on a 'bus or navigating a stile are more than I can comfortably manage at present.
I have, too, found it very difficult to manipulate two crutches and my one leg during the recent slippery weather, for fear of falling. Perhaps also they can tell me if a 5 inch heel will be too high for my one foot, and in any case what they think is the highest heel a one-legged girl can have on her only shoe with any degree of safety to avoid falling and breaking her one remaining leg.
Yours truly,
Only One.