Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1873-03-13
MY WAIST.


You never saw lady's dress that was?
Well, l have. saw lady once come
into street car, I'd her waist was so
small that honestly believe could have
spanned it. At all events it could not
have been, more than seventeen or eigh-
teen inches in circumference. Her face
was white and thin, her lips were blood
less, and her eyes starting out of her head.
Now, Ter dress soas tight.
Would she have acknowledged it?
Well, no, she did not. heard her re-
mark to a friend, who was apparently re-
monstrating with her, that it was ''the
natural size" But, then, who could be-
lieve it T? That was q positive and pain
full deformity, but where it is really natu-
raj, as mine was, it is graceful and desira-
BILE. They say the men do not admire it,
but I know better. Do they not tell
sylph, Iwonder?) There was my brother
who made a pet of me whenever he saw
me, which was not often, for he lived far
away but remember his speaking one
day of some fine lady, and he said she
was cas- slender as JESSIE" That was
only one Of the things that made me fond
of it
have got over all that now. Shall I
tell you how it happened? Well, l was
out of health that summer-had been, in
fact, for some time-no local, but kind
of general debility, and I would not take
medicine for it. l had seen good many
cases where people began to take medi-
cine for chronic debility, and they never
got over the debility, nor the taking medi-
cine either. | knew that my habits were
not right in many respects. l needed
more care about sunlight, exercise, diet,
and SO on; and set myself to think over
the matter. About that time I got sew
ing machine, with small book of direc-
tons, which book was great help to me
IN running the machine. And the thought
struck me that, since l had another ma
chine far more delicate and intricate put
under my care, it was a great mistake to
blunder On without any book of direc-
tons. | got treatise on Physiology at
once, the best could find.
One Of the first things lighted on was
about the lungs. There found that all
the blood IN the body must go to the
lungs to be purified and vitalized by con-
tact with the air which we breathe Our
Creator il making our bodies make the
lungs just the right size, so that they
would hold only the amount of air neces-
sary for vitalizing the blood of the body.
Ii we at al diminish the size of the lungs,
then the blood is not fully purified, and
bad blood cannot fully nourish the body.
Bad blood may give rise to general de-
blilty, or to disease in any part of the
body where there happens to be any
weakness, and also to nervous disorders.
Then there were pictures to show the
difference IN shape between the full-sized
lungs and those of women who had re-
duced the size of their lungs by tight
dress. looked in the glass, and l began
% suspect that ny asy dress a4ass TO ehtt i
Hiss Crouch told me that I might have
the belt as tight as pleased ; that was
below the lungs, and would not compress
them SO I studied that up, and found
that the belt which soldiers wear dimin-
ishes their respiration by onethird actual
measurement; that we cannot compress
the upper lungs much because the ribs
are fixed that almost all the injuries of
tight dress come by compressor about
the belt that we thus force some of the
organs up against the chest, and diminish
its size, and otherwise downward, and
put things into disorder, general and par
ticular, often such as women only can
know, and which, alas many of them do
know to their sorrow, only they do not
suspect the cause of it.
Miss Warburton looked Mortified when
told her did not wear corsets-almost
made me feel as If | had sinned against
womanhood. She could not get along
without them she could not hold herself
up-felt SO weak Was sure she would
grow crooked and round shouldered.
asked her what held the nun up so
straight but she did not think the cues
ton pertinent, and said so much about
feeling weak, that [ studied that up.
nj, r.. ,
The muscles of the back, and all about
the waist, are intended to keep the body
erect, but tight dress prevents the play
of these muscles, and they become quite
useless; the corset takes their place, and
works about as efficiently as would India
rubber muscles for walking, or wooden
hand for writing
soon commenced letting out my dress
waists and skirt bands. It was tedious
work, but then | had tangible good be-
fore me. More hip, more vitality! At first
felt slouchy, but drew long breaths, and
they were a luxury and made me feel bet
ter. I complained to Miss Thurlow that
1t was much easier matter to crush the
ribs in than to get them out again to their
natural position. Why, pull them outr'
said she; where are your muscles?
Throw your arms out this way" and she
brought her hands to her shoulders, then
extended them in horizontal line, first
one and then the other. 'sDo it gently at
first, ten times every morning before you
dress. Then extend your arms straight
up from the shoulders and down again
ten times, and add that to the regular
morning exercise. After awhile Whirl
your arms around in circle few times:
then gradually add force to all these as
Won can bear IT, Rut if vour dress ic nor
fectly loose, all your work-your sweep
ing, your making beds and kneading
bread, and work in the garden, when you
have it to do-will help"
"What do you call perfectly loose?"
inquired.
$50 loose that when you draw the
fullest breath possible you will not hit
l laughed. had not equaled that yet.
Come" said I, "you must help me, or
shall look like fright"
She consented. She took basque pat
tern, mace 1t two inches larger than my
waist and then extended the bottom down
into gored skirt. I made up morning
dress by 1t. 1t hung much more smooth
~ than it would with the skirt sewed on.
Nobody guessed how loose it was. Ihaye
worn it ID my home dresses ever since
and, with some notifications. occasion.
ally for street and evening dresses. Atthe
end of one year my waist measured TWEEN.
ty-6ve inches.
OF course, having once commenced the
study OF health, I found other WAYS of