The Washington critic., 1886-02-25
TOPICS OF THE DAY.

Says correspondent of the Buffalo
Ners writing from Philadelphia: A
young dentist of this city gives two
lessons in sparring to young ladies every
afternoon in the neighborhood of Rit-
tenhouse Square. The teacher has met
the best men of his day, both in this
country and England, though never for
money or with bare knuckles He is
graduate of Dulwich College, a scholar
and a gentleman. He told visitor that
he did not enjoy giving the lessons, be.
cause he was in constant fear of acci-
dentally injuring his pupils. The
usual costume of his lady pupils is a
lawn tennis suit, with we'll padded
Jersey. The skirts must, of course, be
very short, so the limbs can have full
play. The gloves of the medium size,
but require much making over. He
always adds extra hair stufling Into
the fingers and thumb he inserts
castor glove, about one size
larger than that usually worn by the
lady. The kid fingers of the boxing
gloves he cuts off at the knuckle so
that the castor-covered fingers may
protude. This enables the lady to close
her fingers, easily, thus retaining the
gloves firmly on her hands. This alter
alton in the gloves is rendered neces-
sary, he says, by the universal inclina.
tiOn among the female sex to strike
with the hand open. "1t is the most
difficult thing Imaginable" he said,
'to teach lady to close her fists. Even
after you think she has been sufficiently
warned of the danger she will impul-
sively lunge at you with her open hand
the fingers straight out and rigid. l
lost one of my best pupils just before
Christmas in that way. Two of her
fingers were knocked completely out
of joint and all her courage left her.
The sport lost its charm for her from
that time on "Do you candidly re.
gard the sport as a proper one for
young ladies?' why not? They are
taught to swing clubs and dumb bells
at nearly every ladies' seminary in the
country. AS for sparring | cannot
imagine anything more beneficial than
a frequent exercise with the stuffed
gloves, II teaches one how to carry
the body and head. 1t inculcates a
| poise on the feet that can never be Sc
cured otherwise, and 1t developes the
muscles Of the shoulders and back as
no other exercise yet discovered does.
Without prejudice to sparring will ad J.
nit frankly that dislike to see women
! boxing with men, So would be sorry
to see them in the ball or cricket field
| l confidently expect TO see sparring
adopted at such progressive schools for
young women as Vassar, Wellesley and
Sage colleges, the latter of Cornell
University, and the Harvard Univer-
sity annex"
~#~
According to the Washington CORE
spondent of the Chicago Neaos Mr..
Blaine was the first newcomer who
set at defiance the hide-bound tradi.
tions of the Senate. There was tacit
understanding among the more CON
servativc leaders on both sides of the
Chamber that Blaine should be crowded
to the rear and kept there until he was
well disciplined. But Blaine would
have none of it. He had served long
apprenticeship in the House, and fell
himself the peer of any member of the
Senate. Before week passed he
watched his opportunity and sprane
into debate in which Thurman, Ell
munds, Bayard and one or two other,
were engaged, and scandalized the de,
corum of the body by making one oil
| his fiarv and ann-aau;,,a .nanobon 49,.