Des Arc weekly citizen., 1868-10-27
From the Memphis Appeal.
 THE GRECIAN BEND. Its Cultivation, Practice and
 Final Development.

The true bend, the bend of the elite and refined, consists in the young lady throwing her body forward and head back, as though she were tryingto catch . soap bubble on, the end of her nose. At the same time, through the medium of gaiter heels from three 10 four inches high, she is compelled to walk almost on the very tips of her toes. This, as a matter of consequence, throws the posterior portion of the frame far into the rear, giving the entire form the figure of triangle, with one of the sn- gles resting on the ground, the other shooting heavenward at an inclination of about thirty five degrees, and the remaining one pointing in line paral Tel with the earth's surface.
 The night of the fashion is to enhance the latterangle by certain puffy, hood like article of dress, resembling the tail plumes of an ostrich, thus giving de- lightful exaggeration to the triangular figure which is meant to be particularly ravishing. A young lady,
 ON PERFECT GRECIAN BENDER, moves along the street in a manner to disturb all dear old notions of motion that should flow, rather than step.
 Gone is the good old iounce-linging swing; gone the soft, yet nervous grace of the free, unconscious step; gone the long, undulating carriage, like trim clipper swinging gracefully over the long swells ofa surging sea.
 She trips, or rather pegs her way along with an anxious, studied express sion of countenance, as if under per petual apprehension of losing her equilibrium and topping over on her head. If, in the exercise of her unde- niable privilege, she attempts to dis play her pretty ankle at the curb, she spins about ri!iculously, regsins her (we were about to say perpendicular triangle with difficulty, and either gives it up in despair, or spasmodically exhibits far more than she intended.
 If she meets gentleman friend, she responds to his gallantly lifted tile by q distorted wriggle, wag of her os- trich tail, and forced smile, by which she vainly endeavors to mask the phy- sical anguish she is suffering.
 In educating young lady up to the perfection of this cruel distortion, THE AGoNrEs ENDURED BY THE VICTIM are something which we would have thought incredible, considering that she usually subnits to them of their cruel process by one who has "been there."
 We will suppose the case off board- ing-school miss, possessing both beauty and grace--all of which is proposed to transform into the hideousness bearing the classic misnomer, In the first place she is enveloped in corset as stiff and strong ss coat of arms, and drawn so tightly that she can but with difficulty breathe. She is compelled to wear this night and day for certain number of weeks, the corset never being meddled with, except for tho purpose of drawing q little tighter.
 When this phase of the deformity is complete, sheis subject to whatis called
 THE STEEL sTRETcHER.
 This is the broad, fiat steel rod, al- ways as stiff as poker, extending up the back, from the lower edge of the straight jacket Uo which it is riveted) to the nape ofthe neck, and at the same time adhering firmly to the jacket all the way up. At the top ia strong but delicate screw, twist of which presses hard pad against the summit ofthc spinal column, forcing it forward at the will of the operator.
 A pair of shoulder -braces beneath the corsage keep the shoulders forced back in manner that would be bene- ticial were it not for the accessories of the cruel instrument. When complete ly encased in this scontrivance, the screw is turned down as far as possible, with out actually snapping the backbone, and the victim is permitted to limp, groaning about tho premises for cer- tain number of days, until the upper portion of the bend is supposed to be achieved.
 Nne would think this were enough for an ordinary mortal to endure with out actually tempting the grim destroy CT; but she has yet to receive the flu ishing touch.
 HIGH HEELEp CATERS,
 the heels of which in many cases are, without exaggeration, three and half inches high, are the shape in which this refinement of torture comes.
 If the poor girls sutferings were great before, they are absolutely excru- ciating. Daily she is compelled to walk, or pick her way along, for miles, and even leagues in those eabominations, in comparison with which the iron shoe of the Chinese belle is an Indian moccasin, lined with cider down. Every step is torture, every movement anguish. But the young lady is am bitious. The Grecian bend glimIners in the distance, and she will attain 1t or die.
 Presently she does attain 1t, and is forthwith turned out from stretcher, spine breaker, ,straight-jacketa and shoul- der-straps--turned out from everything but tho high-heeled gaiters--and is thereafter the mince-footed, bent-back, animated, triangle Of present pain and future incurable maladies, which has hnan fha ohiecf of her ambition.