Chinese Ladies' Feet.

Otago Witness, Issue 1756, 18 July 1885, Page 27

Chinese Ladies' Feet.

The most important part of a young girl's dress in China is her shoes. Such tiny shoes they are, of coloured silk or satin, most tastefully embroidered, with brightly-painted heels, just peeping beneath the neat pantelette ; and the feet are supposed to merit the poetical name bestowed upon them of "golden lilies." But how sad it is to discover that such a result is produced by indiscribable torture, and that the part of the foot which is ,not seen is nothing but a mass of distorted orbroken bones !

This deformity is produced, not by iron or wooden siloes, as is sometimes supposed, but by the narrow cotton bandages about three feet long. They are applied when the little girl is six years old.

For the first year or so the children suffer constant pain. By numberless devices they try to benumb the' feet and relieve the agony. Through the weary summer days they lie restless with fever upon the cool mats of their couch, and when the cold nights of winter come they are afraid to wrap themselves in any covering, since if the limbs grow warm the suffering becomes more intense. When the feet are first bound it is very difficult to use them. Girls can only move about by means of two stools, upon which they rest thsir knee; and which are moved alternately by their hauds. At 10,-,bih'j much desired small'uvss is obtained, the girl's foot is deformed for life, and she is greatly admired by all her friend*. — Mrs Bryson.