Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1883-03-31
A LECTURE ON LEGS.

There is an cutlery about legs. We are
told that we have too much of them at
theaters. We do, and l say this not be-
cause the exhibition is indecent, but be-
cause it is ugly. What a woman is ex-
pected to hide and what to show is purely
q question of convention. l remember
once passing an afternoon lounging about
at the Sweet Waters of Asia, on the Bos.
phorus. Princesses and other lights of the
harem were being dragged about in bull
lock carts. Soon some of them got out OF
their conveyances and sat down upon the
grass. Among them was a girl who felt
convinced was pretty, and | sat down near
her. Her face was covered with a thin
veil. Nothing would have induced her to
raise it, but slowly she pulled her wide
trouser up above her knee and proceeded
to scratch her bare leg. This was her idea
of a mild Irritation with a Frank. And
why not Her English sister would go to
a ball with neck and arms bare; or, to put
it more correctly, with about quar-
ter of her body concealed only by
shoulder.straps. Am l not right, therefore,
in saying that the rule as to what portion
of the female form divine may with pro-
priety be submitted to the eyes of man.
kind is local and not general? Here faces,
necks, backs, shoulders and arms may be
shown, in the east legs may be shown;
while in Zululand, according to all &C.
counts, the ladies walk about like Eve
before the fall. But even in England the
rule is different in theaters and in bail
rooms. If a girl were to appear at the
latter in dress only reaching down to her
knees, she would be regarded as a peculiar
girl, whereas she might do this on the
stage without adverse comment. l make
these preliminary remarks In order to
prove that approach this solemn subject
without prejudice. Ten or twelve years
ago the ballet girls used to wear skirts
which came down little below the knees.
These skirts were made of muslin, and
there were SO many of them that when
their wearers were dancing they looked
like cloud. The effect was pretty and
graceful. But of late this cloud of
skirts has disappeared, and has been
replaced by piece Of silk fitting tightly
to the figure like the trunks of an aero
bat, and which do not cover any part of
the leg. To emulate this display the prin-
cipal dancers eschew everything except one
muslin petticoat, and this very short one.
What is the result Exceeding ugliness.
suppose that it may be taken as rule
that when girl has small, thin arms, she
generally has small, thin legs Any one,
however, has only to look at the modern
ballet girl to perceive that, although her
arms may be sticks, her legs are elephant
inc in their proportions. This girl goes to
theatrical hosier the shape of her leg is
taken, and then pair of tights is made,
with wool woven into them as the case
may require. A girl with her legs done up
in cotton wool, with small piece of silk
drawn tightly in by band, and with
naked arms and shoulders, cannot be said
to be making an indecent exhibition of her.
self. but she is ungainly. She shocks no
morality, but she does shock good taste.
In the name, therefore, of good taste, let
us go back to the days of cloudy muslin
London Truth.