Dear Sir, - my wife and I are pleased to see a revival of letters on our pet subject, monopody, and hope that correspondence on this topic will be maintained.
My wife is one of those rare mortals, a one-armed monopede; and, as both limbs are absent from the same side, she has a further claim to the unusual in that she has never been able to use a crutch. Her condition makes it a necessity to use an artificial support to get about, her usual choice being a beautifully made light metal leg. She has never needed to use a stick, and the slightest suspicion of lameness in her walk is remarkable.
Dilys prefers to be seen as a normal person, such as is the case when wearing this leg, but there is in reserve, in case of accidents (and for suitable occasions) a pin leg with detachable spindle (for which she has three alternate spindles to wear, according to her dress, of white, red and the other covered in polished tan leather) and a black leather knee-jointed peg leg with a broad rubber-shod base. Incidentally, this latter was her practice leg before being fitted for the metal one.
Dilys was actually wearing this when I first met her; doing her utmost to conceal its presence, too. She was sitting with her sound leg over the peg, concealing all of it except the rubber-covered tip.
Sitting opposite her in the train during the journey, I hardly believe anyone could have failed to realise that besides the obvious loss of the left leg, her left arm was false as well. The inevitable glove covered the hand and the whole arm, lying across her lap, was rigidly unnatural and motionless. In fact the only movement was when she herself straightened it and put it down to her side with her right hand before getting out.
Actually the remains of Dily's arm is only about 3 inches from the shoulder, making the usefulness of the wooden substitute very limited. She was fitted with it as soon as possible after the operation to cover the loss, and now habit dies hard, for I have continually triad to persuade her to do without it, without result. She says she feels undressed not wearing the two artificial limbs.
The arm restricts her choice of dress, for sleeveless or low-necked frocks are impossible, and it has an added disadvantage of not always remaining in the place and position in which it has been put. In itself, as she wears it for formal occasions, it inadequately covers the loss of her left arm, performing no other function than that. The hand, however, is detachable from the forearm, and can be substituted by a steel hook which enables Dilys to do many otherwise impossible things in and about the house.
Our wedding would not have inspired Wallace Stort to take up the pen, as it was perfectly ordinary and, for W. S., uninspiring - Dilys, as usual insisting on being fully equipped with her metal leg and white-gloved arm.
Yours truly,
One-Armed Monopede's Mate.