The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1889-07-21
A Word to the Girls.


evening, when gazing at class of ''sweet
girl graduates" in one of our most popular
seminaries, as-flushed with the achieve
ment and admiration of the hour-they
came forward, one by one, to receive theil
bits of sheepskin.
In these days, when instruction is to be
mad in almost every conceivable branch OF
mental and physical education, is it moi
strange that the simple but important &C
complishment of knowing how to carry
oneself gracefully should be so entirely
overlooked A girl may be beautiful
learned, stylish and gay-but excessive
awkwardness spoils the whole, as the un
calmly gait of a peacock is made more notice.
able and ludicrous by contrast to the gorge
BUSINESS of that proud bird.
More than half the young ladies one
meets in society, on the streets and in
crowded public places, hold themselves SO
abominably that one longs to get at them
and pull them up straight, if not to give
them good shaking for their carelessness
Did you ever observe the wriggle-twsted-
awry-come to-pieces attitude of the average
miss when she assumes to stand in an erect
position-but which proves to be anything
but perpendicular, being rather diversi
fed variation of all the awkward postures
which the many ointed human frame is
capable of attaining while yet approximat-
ing uprightness. They stand on one hip
they waggle and wObble, and run their
ehins out; they display sharp points and
angles where there should be curves, and
unaccountable hollows where there should
be graceful curves Isit thatanother mod
ern malady, newer than diphtheria or spinal
meningitis has attacked our otherwise
lovely girls, before ever govt or rheuma-
tism or ageior toll or excessive avOirdupOise
have hardend Grimpeded one of their supple
muscles into limited possibilities
Girls, just think how wretchedly YOU
would feel if anybody thought you were
absolutely deformed and obliged to stand
in some of the positions you voluntarily as
sumo! You who are naturally straight as
a plumb line and 1.-THE as young gorilla
and who pride yourselves so greatly on
perfection of form? Did you ever attend
an old-fashioned, country kissing bee"
and see tia. favOrite forfeit paid which the
rustic bellies and beauX call "double-and-
twisted-lord-o'-mas which makes the
victims look while executing it as if some
terrible deformity were drawing them out
of human resemblance Well, if you have,
YOU can realize something of your own APP
pearance when you attempt to stand at the
modern poise-so distressingly ungraceful
that even your sweet young faces can
scarce redeem you.
Yes, know it is tiresome to stand still.
and almost high art to do so for any
length Of time in an upright position: but
if you will try it when it is necessary to
be done, you will find that one does not
tire half so quickly as when twisted into an
unnatural position.
Nova days youth is taught to dance, to
ride, to be musical, to be athletic-tO be
everything, in short, but graceful. 1t may
be that this list of accomplishments
naturally includes grace of department.
but | know many girls who have gone
through long and expensive courses of Just
such polishing, and have not come out
swans of motion. Very few seem to have
the remotest idea Of how to leave and enter
a room properly. A trifing matter, YOU
may say, if the young person is good and
pretty; of small consequence in the eyes of
most observers if she has the desired ''pas''
and especially if there is fortune behind
her. But you might as well say that of
any of her accomplishments on which so
much time and money have been spent;
and where superior excellence is aimed at
in many respects, why not try to make a
perfect wholel EXternals are the best ev-
licences of character, and there are many
of US who regard bearing of unconscious
grace and dignity as one of the cardinal
virtues.
Most American girls are admirable dane
ers, expert swimmers and tennis players,
and many go to the gymnasium as re
Ggiously, almost, as to church.
What is the reason" said the mother of
a very pretty daughter, ''thatI should have
such an awkward child! 1t is an agony to
watch Lillian come into the room; and it
makes no difference whether we are alone
or if there are guests, so IL cannot be from
shyness."
E'Perhaps the fault comes from self con
sciousness,' was the sympathetic response
Whatever the cause" replied fair Lii
hans mamma, II wish somebody would
train her, for her own sake as well as for
mine
And why not? Why shouldn't our future
women be put through their PAGES, as are
the ladies and debutantes to be presented
at the queens drawing room drilled in
theirs, previous to that august ceremony?
II dancing masters and finishing schools
utterly fail in imparting distinction of car
riage, why not import a regiment of court
teachers who make it a business to teach
how to hold oneself according to foreign
regulations The present slip-shod style
may be largely the result of paternal care
lessness, but it can be remedied, precisely
as a trick in horse can be cured by
patience and "a wish to see that noble an
anal at his best.
A writer on this subject in the Boston
Herald gives as an illustration of the value
of natural or acquired grace, the example
Of Mrs. Agnes Booth on the stage He
says: ITO see her sit, or rise from her
chair is liberal education on this especial
theme, and no actress, however great, has
ever made an exit with more consum1nate
art. While Mrs. Booth is by no means
wiliowy, she sWims-the motion that ideal
1ppOT0OfiOO in tho hmm I
gives the beholder the impression of light
ness OF foot, quite opposite to so Junoesque
a figure" In rare Instances this grace NAV
be gift Of the gods to the woman, but
much of it may be cultivated by practice.
if the dear girls will do so.
BY the way, we have all seen that ex
cellent bit of advice calculated to teach
stout ladies how to walk, which has been
going the rounds of the papers for the last
two months. The advice, which is the very
best in its way, was evidently written by
one who knew what she was talking about |
and if faithfully followed will no doubt ac |
complish it's purpose. But don't, beg of |
YOU. practice it upon the public streets-at |
least not in broad daylght-until you have |
acouired some degree of EXPERIENCES in the |
,rt The directions are about as follows:
n was asserted with truth, that victims of !
too much ayoirdupoise ale inclined to come |
loyryn solid upon the heels when walking. |
hereby throwing into unnecessary prom
nenIe their most conspicuous ''feature,p |
no abdomen. They are wisely told to first /
,+ond erect holding the spine straight and |
' b1ovvino the shoulders well back and down
ards: then. by slight muscular effort,
raw in the abdomen and throw out the
rest. This will Involuntary elevate the
- and assist one to step upon the toes.
!. ,-1on the balls Of the feet giving a far
: -. ~ s+atelv carriage and apparently re