The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1892-01-02
SOtIEFY'S LATEST FAD.
Physical Culture Now Swaps
the Feminine
Heart.
HOW THE IDEA STARTED.
Mademoiselle Naturally Anxious 10
Invade the Domain of Nom
sieur-0ther Matters.

athletic. While once she dieted on
pickles, or even e s~late-pencil or two, to
become as white as the chalk she some
times nibbled in secret. today she de-
mands roastbeef--'rare, please. graham
bread, aud even the oatmeal of her child
hood. While then she considered croquet
violent exercise and a languid promenade
u sufficient CONSTITUTIONAL, the present
day sees her briskly marching off on a
five-nile tramp, clad in plain, substantial
garments and wearing Waukenphasts
that would have sent thrills of disgust
through The frame of the be-slippered
maid Of 1882. A few years ago Mademoi-
sslle emerged from her boudolr at ten
o'clock, robed in a filmy morning gown,
and mainly interested in the newspaper
account of last nights festivities and
the future condition of her curls. If you
should like to see the girl of '92 beginning
The day You must look for her humping
a sandbag in her airy room. or cat in the
back yard swinging Indian oi uos.
Society has decided that its devotees
must possess vigorous health-rosy
cheeks must not come off in the morning
nowadays. and firm muscles must lend
shapeliness to the rounded arm. And so
Mademoiselle exercises, and also guards
against illness by carrying u small dispen-
sary at her chatelaine. A charming
maiden who lives near Central Park car
ries a homeopathic outfit attached to her
waist. But the wise virgin realizes that
an ounce of prevention is worth a pound
of cure, and since Dame Fashion mas set
her seal on good health, Mademoiselle
joins Il physical culture class. invests in a
fetching gymnasium suit and a set OF
clubs and bells. and throws herself into
the mids OF the sport with the same de-
lightful abandon that she displays when
she pluuges into Ipsen or Political Econ
omy or the Horse Show. Everything by
the turn for Physical Culture-with capi-
tails, please.
HOW IT STARTED.
Their have been many conjectures as to
the origin of this enthusiasm for physical
proweSs on the part of society women.
In the humble opinion of the writer it
lies in the well-known habit of Madem-
oiselIe, of liking to invade the domains of
Monsieur. Inch by inch she has en-
croached on his wardrobe: first his neck
shirt-fronts, then the blazer, then the
very coats and vests, suspenders and I'M
calmly hats. But since Mademoiselle had
become accustomed TO her brothers
clothes, she began to notice her brothers.
ways. Does m brother swing Indian
| CIuUS Uuu Idue a wa
quoth she. Verify that Will l." and so
she tries it at once, and after clubs, bells.
and bars come rings and ladders and
spring boards and the rest, and before
she is fairly awake TO the fact, she is a
member of a ladies' gymnasium.
But some day in the near future the
sensible girl will awake to the fact that
exercise is for health, not for strength,
and that acknowledgements OF muscle
augers i'll for the body's general health.
When that sober second thought occurs
to the sensible girl she will take her eX-
ercise with discretion and no longer de-
maud a daily dividend of increased mus
Gle In return for her expenditure OF time
and attention, taking instead a more I'M
perceptible but healthier general devel-
opment of the system.
Inc best remedy for injudiclous exer-
else is to enter a class under the super
vision of a thorough aud painstaking
teacher. She will know just how much
to prescribe and how much to interdict.
For several winters past, Jersey City has
class under the attention of Miss
Katharine A. Speir. Recognizing
the real value OF such an
undertaking. Miss Speir took
in hand the organization OF a class for
women several winters past, and has
ever since given the matter her careful
and personal attentlon. Until this year
the meetings were held in Booraem Hall,
Newark avenue. where last year Miss
Winogeue Scott Slade, of New York, con-
Quoted a successful class. but the present
seasons class outgrew its limitations, and
now holds its meetings in the gymnasium
OF the JERSEY City Athletic Club. Sixty
of the most prominent society women
compose its membership list, and forty OF
this number are actively engaged every
Tuesday afternoon.
!, C%oURTEsIEs TO THE LADIES.
The club members have extended every
courtesy to The fair athletes. placing al
their disposal all the many convenience
of the club house. Miss Josephine Beider'
base. of Jersey City Heights, makes an
efficient teacher.
The doings of this interesting class can
be learned ouly from the evidence of 8
member, as visitors are not allowed with
in the walls of the gymnasium on Tues
day afternoons; but on the authority OF
an eyewitness, the class is experienced In
exercises without apparatus. and witt
clubs, and and bells. Gymnasium suits
are, OF course, the rule. and staysaare barn
ished as a thing accursed.
For the benefit of any maiden who may
be fred with the ambition that has in
spired so many of our girls, we append 1
few simple exercises without apparatus
which are given on the recommendation
of a sKilful physician. To correct round
shoulders there is the following method
Standing with the feet together, raise
the arms, bent at the elbows, and bring
the palms together in front of the face
then, with elbows still bent, swing both
arms vigorously back ward as far as pos
sibie, both palms looking forward, repeat
this until tired. This exercise. is moi
pretty 60 look at, but it effectually
stretches the muscles of shoulder aut
chest.
A similar exercise is to extend ths
!, arms to their full length horizontally be-
fore the face and swing them squarely
back ward as far as they will go. A gooe
: variation of both these exercises is Il
/ take a step forward with each swim & O.
the arms,
These movements are pr actically th,
same as those gone through by club
swfusers; but not everybody can afford
pair of Indian clubs, and for them tn
simple arm-swinging Is an excellent sub
stitute.
There are a pair of exercises TO
! strengthening the spine. From the prom
position, the feet firmly held down ant
: the hands clasped behind the waist, thf
: body is slowly raised and carried back
ward to the half-sitting position, and ther
lowered once more to the original pose
If the shoulders are STOPPING, the hand
may be clasped at the back of the neck
This may seem a severe exercise, but i
: is really far from difficult. But it should
4 be performed slowly and no more thar
:, three or four times in a day at first.
e. araot with the feet fnOnthar