The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1894-01-17

Sit in store window, on a bench in
a park. in any position that commands
a view of unconscious promenaders. how
many women please by their form and
carriage?
Setting aside the forms that are badly
born, understood, meager, deformed, how
many we'll proportioned people are dis
tressing through personal neglect
Women who by height, figure and
faces might be strikingly effective, by
clumsiness. unframed gaucheries and
Alterations are unattractive unimpres-
sive, distressing.
The universal fault is that of position
the sagging shoulders, craned neck, re-
treating back, prominent stomach, arms
hanging limp and aimless, wildly swing
ing like those of a windmill, braced out
from the side like triangular iron sup
ports, crossed in front. clutching the
pocketbook with unconscious ferceness
or one arm Steering in stiff hythmic
paddles.
Some who imagine they are walking
with great dignity and elegance look
stiff, strained and awkward. Some are
plunging along as though going to
fire, bodies pitched forward, out of step
with their comrades-one with a heavy
rolling motion, the other with a straight
up and down churnstaff motion, the re-
suit of undue tension or stiffening of the
ankle joints. The frivolous woman Is
known by her "niddling." tottering way,
the termagant by her martial tread. the
high heeled by her "hobble"-scarce any
thing easy meets the eye.
One allows the knees to bend excess
lively and continuously, producing gen
orally tumbledOwn fiabbiness Of personal
expression, while the upper portion of
the body is disprOpOTtionately stiffened.
Some thud down with the whole force
of the heel, producing a jar upon the
earth and the brain at the same time,
also upon the eyes of the beholder. I
have seen a woman weighing ninety-five
pounds who would make the glasses
clank in the room across which she
walked and another of $50 pounds slip
around noiselessly as a cat-it is all in
the way"
There is a mincing gait that is very
unpleasant to look upon also broken
unevenness of motion as though the
mind were wandering and the foot
catching in the braid of the dress There
is a certain dignity Of mentality that
produces a steady, even. rhymic pace
which, even when not exactly graceful,
is impressive.
Some walk with an undue roll of the
nlpS, produced pN an ALTERNATE push
ing forward of each hip-an extremely
ungainly effect supposed by the owners
to be particularly Voluptuous and fas-
cinating. Others again walk with an
overstraight strain. making an ugly hol-
low in the back, which miiliners describe
as stylish"
Excessive relaxation of the neck.
pitching the head forward with the
strain of the lower body is a common
expression of fatigue. As for the third.
who cannot walk in step with the other
two-may she never be in our COM
pany!
The mass of -care-battered shopping
women, upon whom time and want Of
money press hard, huddle along in
miserable fashion, shoulders to ears,
heads stretched out, webbing from side
to side hands wildly clutching. The
poor minds are three or four blocks
ahead of the body and scattered in
different directions. Faces are drawn
into knotted cords and creases, eyes are
starting i'm eager indecision between
show window and pocketbook contents.
Nail dints may be found in the hands
from the struggle. Poor soulsi On wet
days there is the added burden Of a load
Of Tapping wet skirts, loose package
umbrellas. Under the excessive nerve
and muscle strain there is total dis
regard of personal appearanCe-which is
expression.
One longs to hear some authoritative
voice call out: Stop! stop! All stand
still Shake yourselves loosei Relax
musclesi Gather back your scattered
thoughts and steer them into direct
channelsi Let go the pressure, and
then start them all over again placid
and sane looking.