New Ulm weekly review. [volume] (New Ulm, Minn.) 1878-1892, 1885-12-09

around have been religiously searched
every morning by that sehoolmistress
before she opens thedoor-
The Perfect Figure.
| Philadelphia Record
Baron Won Humboldt, who had
studied men and women in every quar-
ter OF the habitable globe, used to say
that the notion that the.fe,nale figure
was of better proportions and more
graceful outline than that of man
| was delusion. Women do not be-
lieve it, averred the great scientist, and
men only say so out OF. natural gal
lantry Humboldt was right on a
great many points concerning which
his views were secuted by the wise
memo OF his day, and perhaps he was
equally correct in thus attributing SUI.
perior physical beauty to men. But
since.h his, time nobody has ventured
to urge or.defend his: theory. and it
has naturally fallen into disrepute
Besides. the modern world really has
no use. for 'prettymen" as such. They
may be connter-jumpers and amimat-
ed tailors' blocks, and infast at will
the,public promenadess and places of
general resort, but the present mascu-
line fashion favors the strong, square
built, quiek-witted| and agile fellow
who never -hinks for All instant
whether he conforms to the model Of
the Apollo Belvidere or not.
With the softer sex the question of
form is quite another affair. Thepos-
sibilities of dress have been developed
to such. an extent that within reason
able limitations a woman may take
on pretty much whatever outward
shape seems best and most becoming
for her. While the creations of the
modiste have stimulated g. taste for
the beautiful. they have ministered
also to. the. admiration and harmless
instructive vanity appertaining to
every feminine natures: They have al
so created ideals OF classical ideas Of
parfection; and these, departures from
the antique standard, have been to
many theorists and a few otherwise
sensible woman d source Of profound
disquiet., There has been, it is affirm
ed, q departure from the "classic
figure" that is as disfguring as it is rep
rehensible; and in many quarters are
heard pleadings more. or less cogent
for a return. to the lines OF beauty
wrought by Phidias and Cleomenes
long before DISQUALIFICATION became
a fashionable art
American maids and znatrons have
thus been led to, study the require
ments and measurements of the per-
feet female figure WITH results, if cur
rent draperies correctly indicate, al
together ldistasteful to- the classicists
who point with, pride. to the master
works OF many scuaptors as embody-
ing the beautiful i'm feminine contour.
A living counter part OF the Venus de
Medici would be less than 5 feet in
height, while wearing No. rs corset
and a No. Z shoe. This, to the woman
of to-day, would mean hopeless clu,n.
siness. The, Popular Science MonthlN,
in recent issue. descends to partiewr
lars, and affirnas that to meet the re-
quirements Of a classic figure the prop
Ell dimensions should be: Height. 5
feet 4 3r4 inches; bust, 80 inches; waist,
"a inches; ar,npit to waist, 8 inches.
This is further improved upon bNgis-
ing the proportions OF 'queenlg"
figure thus: Height 5 feet 5 inches;
bust, 81 inches; waist 26 1-4 inches,
over the hips, thirty five. inobas.
These figures are interesting only
as they Illustrate the vagaries
and contortions OF the purely scientific
mind when fforndering through tAeun-
congeniel realm OF taste. It viii be
difficult t0persuade ladies af'aina,luir-
ing turn that the scientific constructor
of these classic proportions. has not
been enaeavoring to perpetrate a
lisolemn joke upon the select circle Of
literary females whom he, addresses
The squeenliness of 81 tad woman
with a hollow chest and exceedingly
| thick waist is an attribute hsely to be
discovered only by an observer
whose head is perpesually among the
stars.
Many correspondents, have OF late
been requesting The Record to stat
what the proportions OF the perfec1
/ figure really are. We do not know
and if we did, ths, knowledge should've
main concealed. lest some of orr read
ers, whose dimensions may be beyond
| the costumeras art, should suffer al
inward pangpf regret and disappoint
ment. Let it be sufficient that for /,
true man The perfect figure IS that Q
the woman who loves him best, and il
| whose smile he finds perpetual delight
Their is no better criterion after all
lvyfN NJ. %h1 NJ