Dear Sir. - I should like to reply to a correspondent signing herself "Happy", whose letter appeared in a recent issue, and also to "M. D.," if you will allow me to use your columns.
"Happy" has stated that she suffers from a shortness of leg owing to a locked knee joint and that she would like to wear a shoe instead of a "high boot" to compensate her nine inches of short leg, but that she had been told that such would be impracticable, as the weight would pull the shoe off.
Now this is all nonsense, and I think I am in a position to give her help and advice, for I myself have a short left leg, but the shortage is twelve inches, and my leg is stiff at the knee, as is also the instep, with my foot pointing to the ground. I am, therefore, particularly interested in this form of lameness. I am unable to wear a "high shoe," but have to use crutches, as for all practical purposes my leg is useless and I am thus almost as much a one-legged girl a one who has undergone an amputation, and so I can, and do, experience the thrill of swinging along on a pair of dainty crutches and wearing four-inch high heeled shoes the one tapping along rhythmically on the pavement and the other showing arrestingly from beneath my short skirt; my heel, being new and shining owing to its lack of contact with the ground, looking particularly attractive. I am sure "Happy" would love the great thrill of feeling a pair of crutches under her arms just as much as I do. But to return to my subject.
A few years ago I was sitting in a London park when a girl who was wearing a very thick cork shoe sat beside me, and of course we exchanged views on the unsightliness of a "high boot" as opposed to the smart "high shoe" she was wearing.
She told me her shortness of leg was about seven to eight inches, and that her shoe was very light, the sole being all cork, and that she had several of these in different colours to match her various frocks. At the time she was wearing navy blue, and so her shoes were also blue. The shoe on the lame foot was a walking one and the cork was cut away, so to speak, in the centre; the height required being both at the heel and toe. There was a metal support running up inside the cork heel, along the ordinary sole and then down the cork toe, which kept the whole of the cork structure firm and safe. The appearance from the back was that of a very high-heeled shoe, which in fact it was, but with a higher toe as well. She said it was most comfortable to wear and the weight was negligible and that she had built it to her own specification, as she just hated an ugly "high boot", and there is no doubt that whereas she had been an object of pity, she was now happy in the knowledge that her new kind of shoe was very attractive and made up in a huge degree for her shortness o~ leg. I very strongly advice "Happy" to have one made, and if she does so it will be very gratifying if she will write to your paper to tell us what she thinks of her new acquisition.
Now, sir, with reference to "M. D.:" second point is fairly easily explained, for her "bunching" of her frocks is caused by the fact that they are a little too tight under the arms and probably a little too loose round the bust. If she rectifies these small points I think she will find that the tendency one's frocks have to "ride" up when one uses crutches will become almost nil. On no account should she use elbow crutches, for they are a great strain on the arms and are nothing like as smart in appearance as the under-arm type, with it is easy to stop and rest, alternatively allowing the full weight to be taken by one's crutches when resting the one and only leg and then resting the armpits by taking the weight on the hand grip. The fourth point mentioned - that of crossing the "legs" - is by no means distasteful to other people. In her case "M. D." has sufficient stump left to rest it over her one leg, and also to rest her remaining leg over her stump. I fail to understand, however, what she means by saying that she lays her stump over her right thigh, when she has lost her right leg! There is no one so attractive as a tall girl on her under-arm crutches, and so I can well understand that her boy friend far and away prefers her on her slim French crutches to either of the abominations - an artificial leg or her elbow crutches. If she pads the armrests sufficiently she will find very little tiredness unless she walks long distances and if she takes reasonable care in the use of her crutches she will not slip, providing they are properly shod at the tips with good sound rubber.
Judging by your correspondents third sketch, she appears to me most attractive and a girl many men would fall for, for she is tall and has the undoubted "pull" of being the possessor of only one leg.
I, for one, would love to hear again from her after she is settled in her new home, and I feel sure many of your male readers would wish to read further letters from her.
Yours truly,
Advice To 'happy' And M. D.