The daily herald. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1886-1887, 1886-09-07
CROSSING THE LEGS.
OBSERVATIONS CONCERNING FORM
OF PHYSICAL RELAXATION.

The Performances OF Discounted Lover
When the Brain Is Actively Engaged
the Limbs Are Strengthened Out--Read-
ing the Morning Paper.
"Have you ever noticed any striking pc.
culiarities about the way people cross their
knees" asked a reporter of an old Denverite
who has seen deal of the world at home
and abroad, the other day
"Yes, indeed" laughed lce portly gentle
man Of many experiences. al have often
studied the phase, both in men and women,
but it never occurred to me that any one
elso was struck with it. About the frs in
stance | remember occurred when was a
boy at home in my fathers house One OF
my very pretty sisters had two admirers.
one of them she encouraged because she re
turned his sentiment, and the other she was
obliged TO treat courteously because he wao
the son of an old friend of the family.
well, those young men used to happen In
on the same evening, and then it was tie
between them as to who should outstay the
other The son of an old friend naturally
was the ridiculous object in this proceed
ing, but he stayed with degree of persist
ency worthy of a better cause used TO
tell my sister that his mute way Of crossing
his legs had a language all its own When
he entered the house, only TO find the other
fellow, as he always did, he invariably
wriggled about for little time. apparently
undecided as to whether to stay or not: but
his inclination always conquered his judg.
ment, and when he leaned back in his chair
and deliberately crossed his legs, we knew
that he meant TO stay.
AS HIS THOUGHTS REvoLvEp.
when it began to grow late he would
ma l.us.f .s,,ll l. a..
cross them directly, if he couldn't possibly
make up his mind TO go Finally, when the
clock struck late hour, he would slowly at
even seemed painfully uncross his legs
place 10th feet on the floor, and begin TO
button his coat with manner that saw
ored of despair. These motions never failed;
they were gone through as regularly as he
came TO the house, and they were the most
expressive language of the legs that have
ever seen. The way the fellow crossed and
increased his legs showed all the inner
workings of his heart His legs were the
Thermometers of his passion, and they never
on failed in performing their office.
"You don't for an instant suppose he
knew what he was doingP
Certainly not Crossing and increasing
his legs as his Thoughts revolved through his
mind was as instructive with him as breath.
ing. His Inconsistencies of what he was
doing was just what made It SO interesting
to observe him"
Eat what times do you thing men gener-
ally cross their legs mostgn
Why, at those times when there Is the
least pressure ON their minds certainly
You will never find a man actually en-
gagged in business with his legs crossed.
The limbs at those times are straiehter than
at any other, because the mind and body
work together and there is no giving way
of either function to relaxation. A man |
engaged in auditing accounts will never |
cross his legs; neither will man who is |
writing an article, or who is employed In |
any manner where his brain is actively en- |
gagged; when at work in a sitting posture, |
the limbs naturally extend TO the floor in a |
perfectly straight line.
WHEN HE GETS IN EARNEST
"a man may cross his legs il he is sitting |
in an ofice-chair discussing some business |
with another man, but the |
instant he becomes really in earnest and |
perceives something to be gained his limbs |
uncross as quick as a flash he bends for |
ward toward his neighbor and begins to use |
his hands. That is phase that / believe |
you will always observe"
"Men often cross their legs at public |
meetings, do they mott"
Certainly they DO, because they go there |
TO listen or to be ENTERTAINERS; they are not |
the factors in the performance, and they |
place themselves in the most com |
Portable position known to them-namely.
that CT leaning well back in their chairs and |
crossing their legs A man always crosses |
his legs when he reads newspaper, but is |
more apt to.lie down when he reads book. |
He reads ethe paper, of course, TO inform |
him elf, but at the same time the perusal OF |
its contents is recreation 10 HIM, and his |
body seeks its position of relaxation
"When a man is reading a newspaper and |
waiting for his breakfast his legs are always |
crossed, but as soon as his breakfast is |
brought to him he puts the paper aside. |
straightens out his legs and goes to work; |
that is, begins to eat, his mind now turning |
on the duties Of the day before.him When |
] said men lay down TO read books, knew |
whereof | spoke There are more men who |
read themselves to sleep nowadays than you |
imagine. 1t is not quite apropos of the |
subject but you see, book-reading always |
requires more time, and a man witt an hour |
TO spare naturally throws himself down on |
a lounge, and If he has any literary taste |
takes up book and devours its contents as |
he rests He either does this or sticks his |
feet on table when he reads, and Won
know the German students have their slip |
pers nailed to the wall so that their feet may |
reach them as soon as they sit down Don
yer Tribune