Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1890-04-18
THE VERMONT PnGNX BRATrEDoRo FRIDAY APRIL 49, $780,
THE HOUSEHOLD.


Since the athletic girl has become so dom
inant a figure in the feminine world. and
fiagility has grown a reproach rather thau
a charm, the treatses multiply on all ny
gienic matters, and volumes are set forth
without number to tell every woman what
she shall do to be saved from all ills that
flesh is heir to The woman with the in
teresting pallor, the violet Swallowed ewes
and the willow wand form has given place
to a huxom jade. whose cheeks are red as
the dawn, with brown. muscular hands,
who, nmid a wreck Of matter and crash
Of worlds would never feel tremor of her
steel strung nerves And this magnificent
person is all the product Of athletics and
athletics and yet again athletics Ride a
cock horse, say the lecturers on this sub
ject, play tennis, swim, fence, practice in
a gymnasium. take cold baths, live in the
open air. But it costs money to ride a
cock horse tennis presupposes various ad-
vantages Of environment that all women
do not possess swimming means a country
home near the sea or a river fencing
work in the gymnasium and life out Of
doors argue leisure, some money, and lib
erty TO follow ones own devices The pale
the nervous, the haccid muscled woman
has not disappeared yet, and these read
with hopeless envy the directions given 10y
the books for the attainment Of rosy beauty
their own lives being too filed with work
too narrow or too straitened to make the
use Of any Of these prescriptions possible.
But athletic exercise, with its resultant
health, happiness and beauty, is 10 be had,
and that at price within the means of
every woman, no matter how poor or how
hard worked Ninety cents will purchase
all she needs to string her muscles up firm
and make them elastic to set her blood
pulsing warmly under the skin; to fine
away too lavish outlines or fill up hollows.
A pair of five pound dumb bells are to be
had for 30 cents These are a good weight
to begin with, but should not he used VIC
lently at first Two towels Of heavy Turk
ish crash cost the same sum each. On ris-
ing in the morning begin practice at once
With a dumb bell in each hand lift the
arms, touch the shoulders with the bells
and straighten the arms out smartly at
right angles from the body DO this
smoothly and regularly ten times Then
touch the shoulders and lift the bells ten
times straight up on either side of the head
Hit out from each shoulder ten times drop
the bells at full length Of the arm and draw
them up to the armpits vary these mo
tions in the % or 30 different directions
possible, as ones own cleverness suggests,
thus exercising every muscle Begin with
only two or three the first morning. and in
crease them as the strength increases.
Finishing with the bells, set mark on the
wall at a height of four or five feet. and
standing on the left leg, try to touch the
mark with the right toe ten times doing
the same afterward with the left The
mark can be raised nearly foot more as
ones agility increases ! hen set hands on
hips and jump up and down ten times
Next spring into the bath--a warm one is
best-spongng ones self off with cold VA
ter afterward and dry the skin with -
orous manipulation of the rough towel
Try that for a month, and see whether
health aud beauty are not the consequence.
Hrp,,'S Bt-Gr.