THE HOME.

Globe, Volume XXIII, Issue 2159, 26 January 1881, Page 4

THE HOME.

Bunions. —Bunions are nearly always the result of badly fitting boots. Rightly to understand their mode of production, it is necessary to revert for a moment to the natural form of the foot, uninfluenced by the distortion produced by modern boots and shoes. If you look at the foot of a London Arab, or any little shoeless urchin you may come across), you will be surprised to find what a beautiful structure it is. You will see that the big toe is in a straight line with the inner side of the foot. There is a distinct interval between the big toe and the next, so that they do not touch at all. There is a smaller, though very appreciable interval between the second and third toes, and you will notice that when the weight of the body is thrown on the foot the third and fourth toes are not in contact. Now compare this with the foot of anyone who has been accustomed to wear tight-fitting boots all his life, and you will see what a difference there is. All the toes are screwed up together like u bunch of carrots, the second or third toe is sticking up over the others, whilst the little toe is pushed under, quite out of sight; the big toe is no longer in a straight line with the inner margin of the foot, but forms a distinct angle with it. We have seen people’s feet that have really been quite painful to look at, from the distortion they have undergone. We are fond of laughing at the Chinese for some of their customs, but we should do well to look at home before becoming too critical. It is a curious circumstance that we, wise people as wo think ourselves, should consent to distort oar feet and make ourselves miserable with corns and bunions just to please other people; but we do. We should never think of wearing tight uncomfortable boots if it were not for “ the look of the thing.” The shape of modern boots is purely conventional, and is not at all adapted to the natural form of the foot. Boots to fit properly—we mean really properly—must have square toes, and should not be made to taper off to a point; There is no reason why a comfortable boot should be ugly, and some of the prettiest boots we have seen have been constructed with a due regard to the natural shape of the foot. Liming Eggs. —The process of liming eggs, now so largely practised, and which was for years kept as a “trade secret,” is the only practical mode of preserving eggs for market or family use. The method is to slake one cosk of lime, one peck of salt, and lib of magnesia together. Let this mass remain over night, after being slaked, and it will bo something of the consistency of putty. Of this make a “pickle ” in water sufficiently strong to bear up an egg, and in this pickle keep them in tight ca*ks till wanted. Beefsteak with Ox-iveb.— Take a piece of rump steak, out it in slices three-eighths of an inch thick, and trim them into shape. Molt plenty of butter in a baking tin, lay the fillets of beef in this, and let them stand in a warm place for an hour or so ; then spri ikla thorn with pepper and salt, and fry them in some hot butter, turning them to let both sides take colour. Stone a quantity of olives, and parboil them. Fry some onions a brown colour in butter, add a little flour, and, when thot is coloured, as much stock as you want sauce, with pepper, salt and spices to taste. Let the sauce boil, then strain it, add the olives, and serve when quite hot, with the fill ts in a circle rourd them.