The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1868-11-23
"THE GRECLAN BEND"


About the beginning of last summer the
attention Of the solourners at some OF our |
PIlneipal watering places was attracted 10 q
among all those ladies VINO. like good Mrs. |
6a0nn, ataIa had claims to be considered "high- |
disorder, under the name of the Grecian Bend, |
Sp1esa 5ese rapidly from the fsshionaole resorts
larger ciIie,, where ' indications Ha of 1t On in
vsrlous forms may even yet be occasionally |
YORK Sis eS at an esTy
date, by the administration TO the afflicted of
strong doses.of ridicule, which seemed very effi
animation into the lanzuid arms Of the
patients. 1t is not our intention to describe
been made familiar with 1t by means OF the
thousands of pictures and caricatures with
which our streets have been filled for some time
Various explanations have =. o,,,ar
cause cause a86 RbcS origin as arecis ra Tae Tne
greatest LAS hersinfCfe met with the
sr'' --vor, is That the peculiar fiexure of the
..Ial column is assumed in imitation of the
position occupied by the antique statue known
10 ns as the Venus de Medici Both artist aud
artisan have been for centuries lost in admtra-
ton OF this wonderful work of art As our
readers know, IT represents beautiful mature
woman in a nude condition, IN that attitude
which would DO naturally and Immediately
assumed by a modest female who had been sur
@TSsos R5Tss OF so%s by Sss
she endeavors, while preparing to flee,
10 conceal with her hands and arms much
OF her person as possible. To effect this, the
spinal column Is slightly flexed on the lower
sxTemitiee, and the arms thrown forward.
The statue itself, although nude, Is the per-
sonlheation OF modesiy, put the imitation by
living, breathing woman would be quite the
reverse. Yet our confidence In the innate
delicacy OF our women WAS too great TO permit
us for an instant to accept the statuesque
theory as the true one, although we must
admit that from this explanation the fashion
took It's name. We therefore set to work to
discover solution OF the mystery which would
not be open to the charge OF indelicacy, and we
are happy to say that we have al length found
This conviction that we had arrived at the
truth was forced upon us on last Saturday,
while einspecting the skeleton of the Hadrosaurus,
lately erected in the Museum OF the Academy
Of Natural Sciences, by Mr.. b. Waterhouse
Hawkins, OF London. The position natural to
this huge creature, which measures tweuty-six
feet from the point of the snout to the tip of the
tail, very closely resembles the figure pre-
sented by our Chesnut street bellies two
months ago The same coutortions of the spine,
the same fexion OF the knees, the same
position of the arms aud hands, are all
there. Indeed, there is no doubt that the In
hsbitants of the cretaceous forests had pre-.
sented to them in tho person of Hadrosaurus,
and It's deadly enemy DRclaps admirable exam
pies OF that attitude called so enormously by us
the Grecian Bend. great, pity, no doubt It is,
that there were lhen no animals higher In the
scale of creation than reptiles, to see and admire
these highly gifted creatures. Let us hope their
beauty was not wasted. but that cretaceous eyes
and intellects were formed to appreciate the
artistic more fully perhaps than crocodiles and
slligators are capable of doing at the present
day.
Now the conviction forced upon us is, that
Wan creatures appeared, in q dream. perhaps,
to The fair one to whom W Q are indebted for the
introduction Of The Grecian Bend, and that she
was so facinated by the elegant appearance
presented by Hadrosaurus and Laelaps IL their
| native baunts, That she could not resist the
temptation to initiate as far as possible their
| figures. That she succeeded surprisingly we'll
| Will, we think. be admitted by those who visit
| the Academy to morrow, when 1t will be re-
opened to the public. In view OF these facts, we
| propose for the extraordinary fashion we have
been considering. the name Of the Antediluvian
| Attitude or the Hadrosaurus Bend.
| II must be remembered that Mr., HAWKINS
has in no degree whatever been dependent on
| his Imagination in the prosecution of his work.
| but has erected the skeleton in the position
dictated by the shap Cf the bones themselves
| In doing This et the expense of a great deal OF
| time and labor, he has conferred, not only upon
| the members OF the Academy, but also upon all
| the people OF Philadelphia an Obligation, OF
which, we hope, we will be duly sensible.
| SPANISH EvANGELIzATIoN.-A meeting in
| reference to the aOove object was held last even
| ing in the church corner OF Nineteenth and
| Green streets under the auspices of the Ameri-
| can Bible Society, American Tract Society," and
| Foreign Christian Union. Addresses were m ade
| by Rev. DR.. Cunningham, Rev. DR.. Butler, Rev.
| DR.. Hayes, and Rev. j. w. Terrence. Many
| startling facts were presented relating to the
| past and present condition of Spain, and the
remarkable opening now offered to the Bible aud
| Protestant literature by those in power. The
| necessity of prompt and energetic action was
| ably set forth, fear being expressed that fur
ther political changes may abridge the liberty
now presented. 1twas stated the above institu-
tions have large editions of the Scriptures and
| over one hundred other religious publica-
tions IN the Spanish language ready for ship
ment The congres atiCn was large, and much
| interest was manifested. Another meeting was
announced to be held in the church corner of
fifteenth and Chesput streets. on the 1st of De-
| cember, Tuesday evening, when addresses will
lie made by Rev. Drs. Newton, Brooks, Willis,
and others.
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