"Miss B., will you be kind enough to take off one of your shoes, and send it forward?" It was cheerfully and quickly done.
"Henry, please bring the rule? Now we will measure this sole.
"Miss B., I find this sole is two and one-half inches wide; do you think your foot is narrower than that?"
"Oh! a great deal. That shoe sole is twice as wide as my foot."
"Miss B., will you please come to the platform a moment?" So, limping along, one shoe off and one shoe on, she presented herself.
"Miss B., will you be kind enough to put your foot upon that sheet of white paper? Now hold up the other foot, and let your full weight press upon this one. There, now, hold still a minute, and let me draw the pencil around your foot. There, that will do. Now we will measure this mark, and see just how broad your foot is. Why, Miss B., I find that your foot is three inches and three-quarters broad; —no, stop, it is three inches and seven-eighths;—no, stop again, it really is four inches broad. Now what do you think? You may take the rule and measure yourself if you doubt it. The sole is two inches and a half, and your foot is four inches broad!"
"But, Doctor, it is four inches broad only when it is spread out by standing my whole weight on this one foot."
"Yes, Miss B., but that is exactly what takes place every time you step. For example, when, in walking, you lift up the right foot and push it forward, your whole weight is not only on the left foot, but, pushing with the left foot in propelling the body forward, you have, in addition to your weight upon that foot, the effort of pushing forward with it, which makes the toes still broader, and that takes place every time you step. So I presume when you are walking briskly, that if your foot were at liberty to spread, it would reach four inches and a quarter.
"This shoe sole, which you think is immense, is two inches and a half wide. Now what do you suppose becomes of the inch and a half of foot which has no sole to rest upon? Either the upper leather holds the foot, and prevents its spreading, or the foot spreads on either side beyond the sole, and presses down upon the edge of the sole.
"Very few girls walk in a firm, strong way. Notice one. You can see that she is balancing upon a narrow sole. There is an unsteadiness, a sidewise vibration. Besides, as she has not breadth of toe enough, she cannot push her body forward in that elastic way which we all so much admire.