Los Angeles daily herald., 1888-04-22

dered, it is reasonable to suppos'
that In their youth they were bent IL
the wrong direction. Tie body, lik'
the mind, needs to be educated an'
its education should extend over /;
period OF years.
A few Thirteenth century people
who happened to be born in this cen
tury, still maintain that it makes nj
difference whether woman is edu
Gated or not. Others OF the Nine
teenth century affirm that woman
should be as well educated as a man
But when the centuries are well ou
OF their teens, and beginnin.
to be advanced in their TWEEN
ties, it may be that womeI
will he incomparably better edu
Gated than men; for, said the wiss
Frenchman: "When you educate {
boy you are educating a man f; wher
you educate u girl you are laying tht
foundation for the education OF an en-
tire family" 1t will probably take
the world several hundred years yet
to discover that the cultivation anc
development OF its young girls is the
most important and most profitable
work to which it could turn its atten.
ton.
In literal sense it is vitality neces-
sary that every girl should be in thor
oughly good condition-that she
should receive the best physical edu-
cation. She should be trained to
walk rapidly, and for a long distance,
without losing breath, or having a
dreadful pain in her side, or feeling
"all usedu up" She should be taught
to breathe properly, not with quick,
jerky. breaths, conducted chiefly by
the col ar bones, but with deep alb
dominal breathings, which, while they
call for little effort and make less dis
play, are felt with all their beneficent
effects in every part of the system.
She should be taught to practice gym
nastics, eithet free hand or with dumb
bells, on rising in the morning and
before retiring at night not in a shiv-
ering, unwilling, feeble way, but with
a great deal OF :" heerfulness, courage
and vim," and these exercises should
be performed in a well-ventilated
room, with the clothing perfectly
lo-se, and should be continued until
the entire body is in a gentle perspi-
ration. 1t will not take many
minutes to produce this result,
if the movements are, as they
shou d be, energetic, and tie
young lady who tries this plan will
find that ii is certain to give her an
appetite for breakfast and an interest
in life. | knew a crooked. hollow
chested girl, who tried the use OF
dumb bells, but they didn't do her
one speck OF good )" and no wonder !
Instead OF hitting out hard from the
shoulder with the air Of one who in
tends to knock some one else down,
she put her hands feebly above her
head, as though she had some idea OF
after the unattainable, but
doubted whether it was a possible
thing.
Strong muscles insure strong nerves
an elastic step and tranquil mind.
The poorest figures may be made up
right, supple and rounded by their
cultivation. But it is not the work OF
a day, nor of = month. Whatever is
most worth doing generally takes
long time to do. Spasmodic effort is
Of no more use in physical education
than it is in the education OF the
mind.
A year ago a young girl, who had
the far too common defects OF thin
chest and pipe-stsm arms, determined
to develop these parts Of her body.
To-day her shoulders are we'll rounded
in front instead Of behind, and her
arms are vastly improved in shape
and size. This result has been at
tanned by the regular practice of a
single exercise. With dumb-bell in
each hand, head thrown back till the
eyes are fixed upon the ceiling and ell
bows bent she works her shoulders first
down, then forward, then up the
back, repeating until fatigued. The
motion is really circular one, and is
precisely the one that oarsmen make
when they "back water" | describe
it in detail, because am anxious
that it should not be mistaken for an
other c. rcular motion, exactly its re-
verse, which is used in rowing boat.
Rowing is good exercise, but by imi-
tating that movement with the right
hand, and placing the left in the right,
It will be seen that it has a direct ten
lency to draw the shoulders forward,
instead of throwing them back.
[ wish that every .hat-chested
thin-armed girl could be induced
to begin the New Year with
the daily practice of the "back-water
Practice it three times
a day, on rising and retiring and at
whatever other hour, not Immediately
after a meal, that is most convenient;
and try, if possible, to go through a
hundred such movements every time.
Dumb bells are not essential, but de-
is. Put all the vigor you
possess into each stroke, and do not
be discouraged if you are fatigued at
the end of twenty-five or fifty
strokes. This premature weariness
only proves that you are greatly
in need OF the benefit this exercise
will bring you. Rest for few minutes
and then Try again. If 800 strokes a
dav are more than you can bear,
begin with 100, and add more as your
strength increases. In q few days
you will feel better; in a few weeks
YOU will have q better figure and
better health; in few months you
will begin to have the beautiful pro-
portions and the vigorous and grace
ful bearing of young athlete.
But remember "A well-Ventllated
room, and every movement performed
with the utmost energy Bell Thistle
waite.