Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1881-02-12
WOMEN WHO USE THF E0Eks.
bright Eyes, HSsy Cheeks, and
Elastic limbs THE HesRks
HeCOning Fashionable la New
York SOciesy-H0ss IL ~ Taught
and " here-An Exercise puFkiCN.
Iarty Beneficial t2 Ladies.

HeCOMin& Fashionable ts New
and Wherein Exercise PurkiCu-
larry Beneficial to Ladies'.
IL is popularity OF the young woman OF the
nineteenth century that she apes the yonny
man OF the same period. She wears mems hats
collars, cTavsts, coats, and sometimes canes
X is not surprising, then. that the young women
of New York are taking 70 fencing. Men fence.
then why not women? And go they have gone
into the sport with q vim. Physicians agree
that there il no better exercise for persons of
sedentary habits. Those who have practiSed It
say that they have been benefited much, and
tney recommend II With enthusiasm
IAN, II Is great thing for a woman 10 learn
TO fence" said col. T. ii. Monastery yesterday.
The veteran stood In his school OF arms at sll
Slxtb avenue surrounded by the implements OF
his profession. Specimens OF Old armOr hung
Ga the walls. fsnked bv curious and rare
weapons, daggeIs, pixies, halberds, muskets.
fo1ls. rspiers, DToadswords, passions, brasers,
masks. boxing gloves, lndlan clubs, and Il lmb-
bells The colonel, TALL erect martial. his coat
but'oDed closely around his slim form a silk
skull cap set taunttly upon his brown locks,
which Here parted with military precision
| down the back OF his head and brought forward
| over his ears and hts from gray moustache and
| goatee carefully waxed, seemed fltungly
! framed by the weapons around him. "Ah yes :"
he said, women should fence; and Why9 il
/ develops their cheSts and muscles makes
| them graceful, supple and healthy. Half the
! Ills that womankind Is heir to would dfssppear
/ II our young ladies' would but exercise more.
| Fencing seems 10 be Just the thing, aud good
| many ladies in this city are finding 1t OUT. ]
have pupils from such families as these Then
| he gave several Well known names
These young ladies' come to me- aud say
that they wish 10 learn TO fence. Sometimes
they form class among themselves; sometimes
tDey desire private lessons. III each case teach
them lust as would men. First the positions.
so. so, so. You SEE The veteran suited the
action 10 the wOrJ and Ia quick succession as
sGmed the different pastures or the fGDcer.
They weTc not those usually assumed by Young
women. and were such as might startIe an or.
binary young lady al flrnt- 'IOu SEE. he said.
they bring into ps all the muscles, particu-
larry those OF the waist, stomach and legs
| sim the exercise Is not Violent. Ii makes
woman active-quick 10 see; gives her com
maDe OF her limits. enables her 10 protect her
self in the street, 10 move quickly and with
certainty. She sees a runaway horse, and can
get out OF the way. Her muscles become flrm
her chest broadens, her lungs expand II
brings the color TO her cheek, elasticity TO her
limos, ard adds years 10 her lite. Yes. 1t is a
COED thing for HomenT Col Monastery became
eloquent.
Then when the rupll becomes further al
Vanced she Is given the foil, a light one, OF
course. weighing from half pound TO pound.
and the lesson goes on. Nothing unusual moth
1nG strange about II. Some OF my pupils be
come excellent sWord5wOmeI. They are those
that continue and perSerere. Others get tired
after time, and seek new amusement. You
know what women are. Not always pleased
with the same thing. Not exactly. II thing
Is the fashion. then they so into Ii most heart
u IL
tenance or initatiOn. Fencing Is not one OF
them. surely. II has this advantage, that IL
usually interests the pupil. No exercise does
COCO that IS iTkSome. You set out for q two
mile walk just because you thluk you ought 10
lake II, and you wish yourself home ali the
time. What Is the result? You are simply IA
arms aud fence with rival and the contest liz
spirited. You work hard. strive your best are
excited. exhilarated. and the result Is more beue
fetal than you can we'll calculate.
al have taught MANY actresses in IN tr,la
from Lola Montez down Lola Monte became
an expert sWordswoman. Helen Temple was
stage, but merely took lessons in order TO
strengthen her voice. l taught Ada lsaacs
Menken. You remember her - at one time
John c. Heenan wife, and the greatest French
SuS we ever had. IL was In San Francisco that
J taught ner aid she became excellent. An
yon Ought 10 have seen her and Junius Bruins
Booth fence la the duet scene IL the French
spy. He was the best amateur swordsman in
America, and made up into splendid specimen
OF the AraD. The two, Meuken and Booth made.
feFiec' picture OF beauty and grace as they
fenced II was no Ordinary Stage fencing. can
tell yoI.
I'VE are talking about women, rur let me
tell yon enc Incident about BoOth-Iunius Bru
t1s. Ii" came 70 me to learn TO fence Just oe-
eauSe liz had been badly Injured In fencing on
the stage. once he got bad cut on the fore
he'd, you see his opponent forgot his cuts.
The one. tNo. three business. aud SO when
Booth cut DOM, as lie should have done the
man cut him over the head. ~ another Zine
hi was badly cut IL the knee. much In the same
way. 50 hI Game 10 M 10 lCa,ru ,te aTi OF fcuc-
iog in pure self defence. and What superb
sw ordsm7n lie became. None better IN Amer
lea. ] have taught many actors.
But You want In know about h.. iadfn.
linen there was little Adele B.iyar.ie ma
pretty young woman who p!ays HT,1.. she
learned ner fencing from me, and very pretty
WORK She has made OF Il. too III the last scene
can't tell you how many Frrnci, Snips and
AdzeppdS have taught. but last and not less
was That terrific woman who played E1zeDpn In
/ faC ~
was immense; so wide. at least. ana like Gill
IN strength. Why, little Adele Belg arde coui
handle her. she worked hard, however. and
learned enough TO do well on The stage"
How do our pupils dress for fencinc?"
much as for gymnastics. In loose waist
and short skirt, coming little below the knee
the Knee TO tell whether Il Is correct. 81 cOursr
inc clothing must Dc ioOS' and OF such 4 IN ar.
attef That the limbs can have Tree pay Mud
do you know" continued the Colonel "fnaf
scIhe OF ny young ladies want to tax. hoxjno-
lessons? They Insist upon 1t. OF course theY
90 Thcy want TO learn anything that men
Earn. Bnt don't encourage boxing. 1t wont
90. yGr. see. 10 nave a pretty young woman,
eye tiachened. OF her dear little nos. punched
Oh, the exercise Is good, certainly AMI stand
I'D anu LEI them punch away at me bu, dont
tAjourdSc II. Fencing is the thing fof w0fac1
There Is 10 better exercise.
NJ. Regis Senac, another professor OF arms
whose school Is In the Booths Incarer bu!li-
ms. Was standing fol IL maud before 4 lad
The teacher was masked on his hands .ert.
fencing gloves, add on his breast {, well worn
piastToD. Al this plaStr0n the lad vas making
savage TRUSTS with his foil. ana Mons Sena:
encouraged him la his apparent endpayor3 10
u3hsllX nm. % rre4i"nt aad apparently saw
age eX lamatiOns
Mems SeDac informed The reporter THAI ha
: mas young women pupils, ont not many They
hre rom the very UGot families OF New York.
some lines thty come regularly to take lessons
sometimes They do not. But IT ia a fine ever
else for women fencing, and It would be lntin
Hejy b tt|r Tor III m II they would devote more
TINE 10 II and leSS 10 the diSsipations OF fash
iGndtF life, that sap their vitality drive M
roses rom their cheeks, and hurry them 10
carly AID premature graves-S. T. Sut.
Day On n GuhnO island.
Californian fer February
NJ tiaa O IL on...