Sacramento daily record-union., 1883-10-31
BELLIES AND MUSCLE,

"Clara Belle, in letter to the Cincin-
natl Inquirer, writes as follows
The blush of health is on the cheek of
the really up and up fashionable girl of the
metropolis. The pretension is that it was
put there by rugged physical training dur.
ing the summer outing-that she has played
lawn tennis, ipedestrinated and equestti-
mated so much that the ruddy hue is truly
Indicative of rich, rushing blood. As a
matter of fact, it may have been painted
with brush. l am told that the sale of
rouge has suddenly increased, and that
pearl powder is correspondingly a drug
in the market. 1t is not more than
year ago-nay, not SO much-since
ghastliness was considered desirable. Even
plump and very earthly creatures
whitened their cheeks and shaded with
black under their eyes to make them look
like Camille. Now their model is a roseate
milkmaid. No longer is it deplorable to
be strong. Adipose tissue is despised and
muscle is excelled.
Feel that" said q friend whom 1 met
in parlor after her season out of doors.
She put my hand on her arm midway be.
tween the elbow and the shoulder. The
skin was as smooth and white as ever under
a single thickness of lace, and the round.
ness was charming.
"Grip hard" she commanded.
l clasped the arm with both hands.
Then she shut her fist and drew it slowly
up to her fair shoulders. Under my hand
rose such bunch of muscle as l had
never felt before, except when hanging on
to brawny partner in waltz. The girl
hoA Toll oil
palms Of her hands are calloused, and
she has to wear gloves whole size larger
than she used to, Ill the same. She does
not lift 80 much as cup of tea without
managing to bring up that muscle, and l
actually saw her writing a letter and
making the biceps show through the tight
sleeve of her dress at every stroke of
the pen.
"And look at this, )" she said, as we were
together in her boudoir.
What she proudly called my attention to
was the fact that, in walking across the
room, the action of the muscles in her
calves was visible on the surface of her
stockings.
"What pity you're not going to dance
in the ballet instead of in the ballroom"
l remarked.
"You are envious," was her retort.
"Not a bit of it" l replied; 81 haven't
any desire to be an athlete. Besides, you
won't be able to keep your muscle through
the winter"
"Won't l ?" and she led me into an ad.
joining closet. "That's what will do it,
me guyrl."
Perhaps some of my readers wish to
cultivate their muscle, and so / will tell
how to make the apparatus which she
showed me. You can almost fix it your
self. The requirements are two pulleys,
two eight-pound window weights, strong
cord and strip of plank with two holes
in it. The cord must run through the
holes in the plank, and suspend the
weights. The exercise is obtained by
pulling at the ends of the board. You
are to assume all sorts of positions, SO as
to bring the whole muscular system into
play. There isn't great amount of fun
in it. Indeed, should say that rubbing
wash. board would be delightful diver.
sion compared to it, but fashion makes
slaves of US, and something or other for
exercising purposes-from a dumb bell to
a rowing machine-is the thing now in nv
lady's chamber.