Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-06-16
Why Pittsburg Society Girls Have Not the
Glorious Physique of the Ancient Greeks
Health and Beauty Synonymous Terms.
WRITTEN FOR THE pIsPArcH.1


Something more than q pretty face is
needed for a charm thai will outlast a
weeks acquaintance. A pretty face is
enough for photograph, but let me remind
young women how many men Of the world,
and of taste. have declared they would
weary Of Venus herself in three months if
they had to sit opposite her every day at
dinner. There must be something sought
among the secrets of Gree to give longer
lease of charm, more varied appeal to the
sensibilities in every day usage. To be
satisfactory companion, a woman wants the
expression which comes of quick intelli-
gence, the ease and varied motion that
belong to suppleness of limb and the light
ness of mental and bodily touch, born not
of feebleness but force and good staying
powers-qualities, each rarer than perfect
Greek features, unblemished compilations,
and hair a yard and a half long. The
lightness which comes of a high order of
strength and endurance is. I am inclined to
think, the rarest of all physical qualities, and
at the same time one which all women might
possess If they would cultivate It.
A CAREFULLY TRAINED MODERN GIRL,
who fills tailor gown so well, plays tennis to
perfection and pulls an oar in the club regatta,
looks the picture of health. but her tread is
convincing. You are aware of it when she sits
down by the shock and if you expect her to
turn aside on meeting suddenly in the shop
aisles or the railway station you are mistaken.
1t seems impossible for her well built figure to
swerve or get out of the way any more easily
a. u.
the common eXactions of life, apart from her
careful routine, and she goes to pieces sooner
than her mother. who never knew calisthenics,
other than those taught by small beginnings,
uncertain income and the bringing up half
dozen children, The daughter has been trained,
not to live, but to graduate, and her physical
training has been on par with her study OF
political science ana comprehensive view
of all religions. One thing as to her fu-
ture as a woman is certain, rich or poor,
that she will find use Tor all the quickness,
strength and lasting ability as it is possible to
give her. How dc you propose TO get them?
By shutting her away from every pursuit she is
likely to follow the rest of her life. just when
she is forming, and her tastes and muscles
might adapt themselves to these inevitable
tasks, which by practice would cease to be felt
as tasks. By putting upon the immature brain
all its labor for lifetime, in shape of study.
Sending the girl into the world with
NERVES TEAsED AND STRAINED,
unfit for any sort of endurance, if heart and
stomach are not already diseased to make
trouble for life In place of the varied tasks at
home, and outdoor life, she has had the excel
lent mechanical gymnastics which are to real
exercise what barrel organs are to music, or
canned soup to fresh beef and salad. Take the
best gymnasts. The Swedish or Ling system,
called the simplest and best as they require
no apparatus and do not involve any great
fatigue" They are a series Of rhythmic ges-
lures, given as follows:
/ Describe a circular movement with arm, 20
times in succession. Extend the arms forward,
outward and upward, 30 times
2 Execute a circular movement from the
waist. swaying the upper part of the body slow
ly round 30 times
g. Extend the leg as nearly at right angles
with the body as possible, II times each side.
4. Extend and bend the foot 20 times each
side; perform the gesture of reaping or saving
30 times; bend each knee 20 times.
5. Raise the arm swiftly and rapidly, as in
the action of throwing lance, Il times IN sue
cession. Throw out both arms together 20 or
30 times.
G. Trot on one spot, resting the hands on the
hips and lifting the feet briskly, 100 to 300
times.
Z. Jump with hands on hips and head and
body erect, 50 or 100 times.
All this TO be done before breakfast, or an
hour before each meal. This empty, aimless
motion would be worse than half an hour of the
tread-mill to woman of nerves. It is hard
work for muscles and nerves, because it is
fighting the air. Better the QUOT in the hand,
or bowling, the race on the green, or turning a
crank, something to give detniteness, resist
ance and interest to the work
HEALTHY AND BEAUTIFUL.
Simonides tells us that "the two things the
Greeks desired most were to be healthy and
beautiful" with beauty which was the result
of careful physical training. But it was not a
training with ropes and pulleys, vacant order
of gestures, that left the face as dull as the
full SO that plainness was the same exception
with them that classic loveliness is with u.s.
They were bred to be lovely. as our girls are to
be polite and to graduate" and their manner
of training would have the same result in |
America that it had in Attica or Doria. To tell
truth you seldom find lasting beauty which |
has not had semi-Greek education of outdoor |
life behind it. Take the beautiful Cummings,
who ran wild in their Irish country home, till |
their calculating mamma raked and scraped |
enough to take them to Dublin and thence to |
London.
The Cummings were unlicensed hoidens, but |
their races over the hills gave them matchless |
compilations Later still Mrs. 1angtry took her /
beauty course, rowing the Jersey lanes with her |
brothers in soft pure sea air, living on peaches |
and coarse bread, with Just as little of lessons |
as sufficed to fit her for London drawing rooms.
I repeat it, and propose to repeat it, till the |
idea reaches attention that you can turn girl /
out cleverer, better informed, of more accurate /
tastes, and surer adaptation to any society in
day, and the rest out of doors or at work, than /
by reversing the order. have seen it and the /
per contra too often not to know. Did it never |
strike you how dull air stupefes and stultifes |
the brain, or how incessant early study leaves /
the mind active in its narrow traverse, but in
capable Of originating creditably, or seeing |
things clearly
THE SCHOOL DRILL
sends out the women of angular or precise
and equally confined ideas. These /
with their class pins and heads full of
women s-club ideas are the least interesting to
talk with, or know, of their sex Everything is
cut and dried everything repeats the class
book or the sentiment of clique. As for get
ting her to look over the hedge of her opinion,
or that of her favorite reviewer, pity the san
guine mortal who essays it. You might as well /
expect an epigram from her or repArtee She
may write poetry full Of Greek illustration, but
Greek reality would be very bad form in her
eyes. The nearest thing we know to it in this
age is some up-country or far-West settlement
races with the boys till they are 10, and study
TennysOn or Milton over their ironing boards |
Or read the Atlantic Monthly after driving
reaper to the blue and gold moons of wheat
harvest and dance in the moonlight afterWard. |
Wholly imaginary state Of societyi My dear
madam. you know very little Of your country II
Tou say So But you must 70 20 miles back OF
railroads and summer b0arders to fnd IL
To begin, the Greek girls were trained 20
aces. and Il is pity that racing is not down In
he course for al female colleges, Tor OF AL
exercise 20 tram down the figure, 70 stretch
md knit the limbs, and electrify the whole
'ody, running out OF doors on green sEara. OF
breezy day is best Il u - natural Tor .
,ealthy girl % run ~ IL Il for her 20 sing. Tho
ireek running was not ladylike with srme
lcld 10 the side but the frlene of maidens with
ound tossing Hntt SO 49, mics IN any