The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-05-16

Living on Hill Advantageous to Calves
Langtry's Crooked Limbs.


Langtry's Crooked Limbs.
San Francisco Chronicle.
The women and the men, too of course, who
live the billy side of town, have calves shaped
entirely unlike the calves of those who live on
the fats 1t results from a cause which every
man, who has paid much attention to physical
training, understands. Hill-climbing develops the
muscles on the side and upper portion Of the
calves, which level walking never exercises, and
which consequently never develop. Olympic
club men, to develop side and upper muscles ON
the owerleg, do trembling board exercise, spring
from the balls of the feet. In that exercise the
same muscles prominently employed as in
walking up hill, hence the hill women have legs
developed In such form as 10 reduce, by com
parison, the size of the ankles. The swell of the
calf is more pronounced in the jewellers on the
fiat side of town, who sometimes open to the
criticism made by a local French shoe dealer
who, speaking 70 the reporter of wealthy pa
tron, said: Madam has a beautiful foot, but
her leg begins too soon."
In the days when men, at least. were given
full license in the matter Of dressing their legs
to show them and their taste to full advantage
the French had this proverb: "Cela lu fait
belle jambe" literally, That makes him a
handsome leg" This was said of a mans fort
une: HE has 100 900 francs of his own and
200 900 which his mother left him. Answer
"Cela lui fait belle jambe." In those days it is
plain that the kind of beauty that money took
the place of was the beauty of the leg; there
fore, how highly priced the handsome leg. By
an easy reversal might not a handsome leg take
the place of fortune in furthering mans sue
cess in life AS it is now, man with love OF
a mustache, soft, brown curling, but with an
unspeakabe leg, will make more Roadway in
ballroom full of manageable girls than man
with a perfectly shaped leg, bagged up in
straightcut broadcloth. This is obviously wrong
Ones barber controls ones mustache, but the
shape of the leg depends upon the manner of
life, the habits and practices of the owner of the
leg That beauty Of face indicates simply nothing
IL, &C ~ 1o<~x 80
nally proved by the case of Mrs Langtry. After
dazing two continents with the beauty of her
face, the famous Lily once played Rosaind in
proper costume, and has ever since played 1t,
to the amazement Of the critics, in a costume
including skirt, which came below her knees
The reason for this is that it would be an easy
trick to hang your hat on either of the Lilys
knees. An uglier leg than hers was never I'M
draped before an astonished audience. Posi-
bly, Lily never knew how ugly her leg is This
commonly occurs, and for a very simple reason.
Every man woman examining his or her legs
does so from a front and upward point of view.
This is very deceptive, as the side muscles of
the calves thus seen give an impression of
rounded contour which a side view may totally
lack.
The beautiful Langtry might have taken
front view of her leg until the end of time with
out discovering the dreadful forward shoot OF
her knees. 1t is a side view that makes the test.
Then the side muscles are no longer deceptive,
and the knee, if it is too prominent, stands out,
literally like the nose on face. Therefore,
madam stand in front of your pier mirror, or, if
YOU have none, lean washstand mirror against
the wall, resting it on the floor, taking to
stand yourself so as to get profile view of your
legs. 1t may give you surprise. A front
view you are of course familiar with, and know
whether or not your legs have unaccounta BILE
attraction for each other at the knees Man
has only limited opportunity to study this pc
culiarity-why so many women are knock kneed.
Even his opinion that so many are Is founded on
observation largely confined to the stage, and it
is possible that there may be an affinity between
the stage and women with knock knees OF
course, the professional girl and burlesquer are
not included in this study, as they have all
been trained how to stand in order to overcome
any disposition on the part of their knees to
come together. But when the legitimate
actress for tie first time dons "shape" clothes,
a new pair of careSsing knees is disclosed.
Those who remember Belle Pateman's only per-
Torrance here as Hamlet will remember as
straight pair of legs as has ever carried le-
ultimate across California stage, yet there was
noticeable tendency to flock together displayed
by the small shapely legs. Whether this pc
cuarity obtains in the same proportion among
women in private life as among actresses will
only be known when women dress so as to dis
play as much from the feet up as they do now
from the head down. 1t is their style of dress,
totally hiding their legs, which makes the women
so much more difficult to study than men. When
one looks-at Toby Rosepthals Constance de
Beverly it is her legs which indicate not only
trayed, but also much of her character.
Religious Opinion.
New York Evening Post.
1t is a religious opinion that religious" news