Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1889-07-21
A WORD TO THE GIRLS.

" For goodness sake, girls, do stand upr'
Such was my mental ejaculation, the other
evening, when gazing at class of "sweet
girl graduates in one of our most popu-
ular seminaries, as-fushed with the
achievement and admiration of the hour
they came forward, one by one, to receive
their bits of sheepskin.
In these days, when instruction is to be
had in almost every conceivable branch of
mental and physical education, is it not
strange that the simple but important ac-
complishment of knowing how to carry
ones self gracefully should be so entirely
overlooked? A girl may be beautiful
learned, stylish and gay, but excessive
| awkwardnesS spoils the whole, as the I'M
calmly gait of a peacock is made more
noticeable and ludicrous by contrast to the
gorgeousness of that proud bird
More than half the young ladies one
meets in society, on the streets, or 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-twisted,
awry, come-to-pieces attitude of the aver
age Miss when she assumes to stand in an
erect position-but which proves to be
anything but perpendicular, being rather
diversified variation of all the awkward
postures which the many-iointed human
frame is capable Of attaining while yet
approximating uprightness? They stand
on one hip-they waggle and wobble, and
run their chins out; they display sharp
points and angles where there should be
curves, and unaccountable hollows where
should be graceful fullness. Is it that
another modern malady, newer than diph-
iberia or spinal meningitis. has attacked
our otherwise lovely girls, before ever govt
or rheumatism or age or toll or excessive
avoidupois have hardened or impeded
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
| assume! You who are naturally straight
as plumb line, and
1.-THE AS A YOUNG GORILLA,
And who pride yourselves so greatly on
perfection of form! Did you ever attend
an old-fashioned country "kissing bee"
and see that favorite forfeit paid which
the rustic bellies and beaus call "double-
and-twisted lord-o' -massy," which makes
the victims look while executing it as if
some terrible deformity were drawing
them ont of human resemblance? Well,
if you have, you can realize something of
vp uypa yOy aft To
stand at the modern poi3e-so distressingly
upgraceful that even your sweet young
faces can scarce redeem you
Yes, l 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 1t is necessary to
be done you will find that one does not
tire half so quickly as when twisted into
an unnatural position.
Nowadays youth is taught to dance, to
ride, to be musical, to be atnletic-to be
everything, in Short but graceful. 1t may
be that this list of accomplishments natu-
rally 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 re-
motest idea of how to leave and enter
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 spas"
and especiallyif there is a 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 when superior excellence is aimed at
in many respects, why not try to make
perfect whole?
EXTERNALS
Are the best evidences 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
dancers, expert swimmers and tennis-play-
ers, and many go to to the gymnasium as
religiously, almost, as to church. What
is the reason" said the mother of very
pretty daughter, that | 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 it cannot be from
shyness." perhaps the fault comes from
self-consciousness," was the sympathetic
response "Whatever the cause" replied
fair Lillian's mamma, 81 wish somebody
would train her, for her own sake, as well
as for mine"
future women be put through their PAGES,
as are the ladies and debutantes to be pre-
sented at the Queens drawing room drilled
in theirs, previous to that august cere-
mony? If dancing-masters and finishing
schools utterly fail in imparting
DISTINCTION OF CARRIAGE,
Why not import a regiment of Court
teachers who make it a business to teach
how to hold ones self according to foreign
regulation? The present slip-shod style
may be largely the result of paternal care
lessneSS, but 1t can be remedied precisely
as trick in horse can be cured by
patience and wish to see that noble
animal 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 a liberal education on this especial
theme, and no actress, however great, has
ever made an exit with more consum-
mate art. While Mrs. Booth is by no
means willowy, she carries the motion that
idealizes locomotion in the human mind
and gives the beholder the impression of
lightness of foot quite opposite to so
junoesque figure" In rare instances
this grace may 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
7 tr>-rr mr., ~,
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 faith |
fully followed will no doubt accomplish its |
purpose. But don't, | beg OF you, prac-
tice it upon the public streets-at least |
not in broad daylight-until you have |
acquired some degree of expertness in the
art. The directions are about as follows: |
1t was asserted with truth that victims /
Of too much avoirdupois are inclined to
come down solid upon the heels when
walking, thereby throwing into unneces-
sary prominence their most conspicuous
feature" the abdomen. They are wisely
told to first stand erect, holding the spine
81 IL al 81 IL, i III