Dear Sir, - I have been a reader of "London Life" for about two years, and as I am a one-legged girl I feel I should like to answer the letter from "Curious."
I have been through the volumes of "London Life" which I possess from the commencement of January 1937, and where one-legged readers state which leg has been amputated the right amputees number 18 and the left amputees 12.
I am 28 years of age and have been one-legged ten years. My leg has been amputated half-way up my right thigh owing to the kick of a horse.
I am the daughter of a farmer, and I have been the wife of one for seven years. Another reason why I am writing is to let "One-legged Dorothy" see that I can beat her weight. When I had two legs just before my amputation I weighed 14 stones, and now with only one leg I weigh just over 16 stones. Owing to my weight I cannot wear an artificial leg. I am outsize in everything. I cannot even get a blouse ready made.
I use a pair of crutches of the armpit type for outdoors. These are made fairly substantial with springs in the middle of the bow where the hand grips, and the shoulder rest are made of a sort of composition covered in soft chamois leather with two springs in each which fit in at the top of the bow. This springing obviates any parrying and as they yield to my extra obese under my arms I do not suffer from any tenderness which is rather surprising when you consider the weight they have to support.
I am not sure other one-legged readers will readily understand and sympathise with me when I say that for a girl of my size to be one-legged is not all beer and skitties, in several ways.
I should be stared at wherever I went owing to my plumpness; but adding to this my one-legged condition, you can easily realise the attraction I cause. Then again, there is the problem of dress in my case. The only decent thing I can wear is a severe tailored costume, because with a blouse and a skirt it makes me look bigger than ever.
I am thankful that we live right in the country, because I can wear about the farm a pair of trousers with one leg short and a polo pull-over, which does away with a dress which is half empty blowing around one's only leg and crutches.
When I am at home and can lounge back in a comfy chair I do not in the least mind being a one-legged girl, but it is when we go in our country town that I feel my extraordinary one-legged stature.
Yours truly,
One-Legged Adipose.