The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1894-10-18
LEARN 10 WALK.
A Grace That Needs Cultivation In Amer
ipa.


lea.
An observer at Saratoga notes the
lack OF proper training in the modula-
ton of the voice and in correct pro-
nunciation on the part of most of The
women who crowd the fashionable
summer resorts. To this might be
added very general failure to acquire
an easy and graceful walk and bear
ing. While there are finishing schools
without number where it is supposed
that some attention is paid to these
matters, it is fact that unless an
American woman is naturally graceful
In her movements she is condemned to
be awkward and stiff or "slouchy" in
spite of the ease with which this
may be overcome. Perhaps it
arises from excessive self-con-
seriousness. Certainly that is at the
root of the apparent seriousness or
melancholy, or else the hysterical
animation of our women, who are seen
to advantage only in the privacy of
their homes.
The vivacious and explanatory
French visitors to the Worlds fair
were struck by the sedate and almost
sad bearing of American crowds in the
Midway. The purpose of this annex to
the great show was to provoke hilarity,
but it was dismal failure as far as the
Americans were concerned. In public
we are like the English, of whom old
Froissart wrote: "They take their
pleasures sadly, after their fashion"
We are self-conscious, and each of us
has found it difficult or impossible to
get rid of the delusion that we are
the observed of everybody, and that
the chief occupation of the world is
to comment on our appearance and be-
havior. Therefore we are sedate al
most to look of sullenness, or we are
vivacious to a palpably artificial de-
gree and frequently rude. At home
we are found to be, particularly the
women, amiable and naturally cheerful
and bright. A stranger taking his
first ride in crowded street car would
declare Americans to be morose and
dull and cold blooded people, or else,
on seeing the hysterical young woman
or the woman whose artificial ANNA
ton is associated with a loud voice and
who talks for the benefit of the crowd,
he would regard us as vulgar. Ameri-
cans are not any of these things, but
simply the victims Of neglect.
Without being made obviously and
aggressively artificial; the American
woman can be made graceful and suf-
ficiently dignifed without losing every
appearance of amiability. 1t is no
more natural to walk after the manner
of st. Vitus, with jerkiness, which is a
common fault with American girls,
than with a graceful swing. 1t is GER
tainly no more difficult to acquire a
free and charming walk than the walk
which seems to dislocate the hip joint,
and which was highly popular among
school girls few years ago. Some
thing has been gained for tall and
long limbed women by the tragic Del
sarte walk, but it is not adapted to the
young women who are most in need of
training, and who carry themselves as
though they are on two jointless sticks
and are in constant haste.
1t is well worth while for the young
woman to pay good deal of attention
to her walk. Also to the meditation
of her voice and to her pronunciation,
both of which are neglected by school
instructors. The American girl has
brains, high ideas, a sense of humor
and good nature, besides the distinctly
domestic virtues. Almost her sole
faults are those we have mentioned,
and they are easily corrected.-N. Y.
Commercial Advertiser.