table world, you cannot expect a fine plant to grow in a pot too small for it.
As pressure on any part is injurious, it at once becomes obvious that it will not be right simply to remove the pressure of the clothes from the waist and suspend their whole weight from the shoulders, as is frequently done; for this is a cause of stooping, of poking forward of the head, and of spinal curvature. The great desideratum is to distribute the weight of the clothes evenly, which may be done by wearing union garments fitting rather closely to the figure, or by supporting petticoats and drawers to a well-fitting bodice such as I have already described, and shall say more about hereafter.
The subject of shoes and boots for children is one of great importance, as the vast majority of feet are deformed by the custom of wearing badly-fitting and badly-shaped boots.1[1]
The infant's shoe, made with a strap round the ankle, is good if made in the way I am about to describe; but if the child's legs or ankles are at all weak, high boots should be worn both indoors and out. As soon as the little one begins to walk it needs more protection to the feet than the woollen stockings I have described. The boots and shoes should then be made of what is called "glove" kid—a soft and yielding material. They should fit exactly on the foot, as too roomy a boot chafes both stocking and skin, causes corns,
- ↑ 1 See Chap. XIV.
