The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1891-07-05
GAY CARRIE CARELESS.
Tells Eow the Girls of the Smart Set
Exercise.
Copyright, July ~


Copyright. July 4)
Gymnastics for girls have been reduced
to very fine thing. No longer do a lot of
women, outlandish in blouse waists and
Turkish trousers. stand in line showing out
first one foot and then the other to music,
as children did in the old game
'Iput my right foot in.
put my right foot out,
give my right foot shake, shake, shake,
And turn myself about"
But now these things are done on what
may be called a scientific principle. 1t is
still the fashion to belong to an athletic
class and to practice in gymnasium, but
the old style Of practicing hath passed
away, and new things are taking place
things that would startle the first strong
minded woman who inaugurated ath-
letics for girls if she were now to behold
hem.
In place Of the former running, jumping,
kicking feats the girls are learning to dance
fancy dances, skirt dances, break-downs
fandangOs and Spanish folder. and Sylvia
Gray Lefty Lind and the Gayety girls
have now many followers in the smart set
of New York, among girls who seek to Sc
cure the liveliness, gracefulne7s and strength
which characterize women who are able to
perform gymnastics with their feet and
legs. The fan dance is the most fashion
able although very difficult and not al
together graceful, and the castanet follows
close upon it.
When the girls have once learned these
attractive fancy dances they are unwilling
TO hide their light and their loneliness be-
hind a bushel, or more properly speaking,
" thin the four walls of the gymnasium,
and lest they die of thwarted ambition,
they must find some place where they can
display their talents to the content OF all
concerned.
1t seems rather hard to grasp at first, but
such is really the case, that young women
of tone and high degree are displaying their
gymnastic accomplishments upon platforms
built out of door, in the grounds Of most
elegant country houses, belonging to people
of the best set. Fancy dancing upon lawn
is quite impossible, owing to the roughness
and irregularities of the surface; and SO,
platforms are erected and upon them the
gay girls piroutte and minuet to the amaze
ment of themselves and their spectators.
To make the platform more picturesque,
the boards are draped with evergreens,
shrubs, flowers and little plants; rockeries
are Struggled in under the platform in un-
expected places, and from their depths CUR
giles an artificial rill, drip, dripping on deep
green ferns and shade-loving pansies. Two
poles are erected on each side of the plat
form, and from them is suspended cur
tain, which rolls back just at the right
time to reveal half dozen or more gavly
dressed young creatures dancing forth to
delight the friendly audience with their gy-
rations.
Only woman of supreme talent can
gracefully grasp her belongings and hail
car in az artistic style. There is cit er
an umbrella or parasol, you know, to take
care of, for these, like the poor, woman
has with her always, winter or summer,
and then there is a cape. a wrap, a mantle
or thing of some kind to throw around
her, that must always go too; and lastly,
but far from leastly, there is a train to be
grasped, and a whole bundle ofS skirts to
be clutched ere q woman can essay to
start out into the middle of the street after
a car.
And yet she does 1t beautifully. 1
watched a girl accomplish the feat one day
last week. 1t was a chilly day, one of those
nasty, uncertain ones, when a woman can
not make up her mind what kind of gown
she ought to wear, nor whether it is safe to
venture forth in low Shoes And when she is
entirely at sea as to the ACCESSIBILITY of eX-
posing the poodle TO the uncertainties of the
chances and changes of the weather This
talented girl Of whom | speak had her dog
with her; she also had wrap, her umbrella,
a pair of long gloves dangling fashionably
from UH6 pain VI Ou6 lIduu dilG bue proper
number of petticoats to look after. The
wind was blowing gale and it was sprink
ling a little, so that the heart of that girl
must have beat wildly for the safety of her
frizzes; but she gave no outward sign of
trepidation, and when her car came romp>
ing along she lifted the poodle by his har-
ness. grasped the back of her dress with the
same hand, holding all in one fell clutch, and
then. with the other talented arm, she held
her cloak and signalled with her umbrella
for the driver TO stop.
OF course he needed the summons, and
even paused on the right corner; how could
he do otherwise when a pretty girl half in
a dilemma pretended herself before him?
And of course she boarded the car safely,
with the help Of the conductor and the aid
of the men on the platform, who assisted
her to manage all her impedimentS except
her skirts and these she toook care Of her
self.
So you see that unless you are a woman
of talent there is no earthly use Of trying to
look picturesque TO attract admiration or to
be successful in stopping the car at the
right time.
1t is vet so early at the watering places
that the unfortunate man who ventures to
expose himself to the wiles and seductions
of the bevy of girls who have already
flocked there must be prepared to spend
every cent that he has with him the first
day of his stay, and then he must send
home for some more p. d. O., if he is going
to be popular. At Long Branch BY actual
count there are seventeen women to every
man. At Newport there are twenty-seven
of the female sex to one of the male. Sara