The Washington times., 1895-05-19

callstbenics has but little chance or re-
tanning her position in the modern rich
mans household. She is expected to
take the little ones in hand, and put
them through daily exercises that are cal
culated to develop every muscle of the body
aud limb, while milady takes lessons from
q professor in gymnastics.
But while the women's gymnasiums have
hundreds of pupils, there are scores of
other women who get their exercise in their
own homes, and according to well-tried
swer the purpose of gymnasium, and the
outfit is such as may be set up in any
household.
If you should chance to know of girl
who few months ago was thin and al
most consumptive-looking but who is now
full-ches ted, rounded perfectly in arm
and leg square of shoulder, and graceful
of carriage, and il you know she has not
attended a gymnasium, you may depend
upon 1t that she has practiced boudoir cal
istheuics.
The chances are that as soon as she is out
OF bed in the morning loose flowing,
chemise like garment is put on, belled at the
waist by ribbon. The bed is pushed to
one corner To give plenty OF rooni, ana her
exercises begin. The only gymnasium like
implement she uses is a stick about five
feet long ana one inch i'll diameter; pos
sibly at one time it did duty as a broom
handle. With this she goes through a
series of gentle but strengthening exer-
cises. A window is raised, If the weather
is not too cold, to admit fresh air.
Her first exercise is Filling aud expanding
the lungs. She stands perfectly erect heels
together and arms extended straight to the
front, palms touching. Tie palms are
now separated and the arms sweep back
ward; at the same time she draws in a full
breath. When the arms are thrown as
far backward as convenient, and the lungs
are expanded, the operation is reversed, the
arms being brought TO the first position and
the breath exhaied.
After this is repeated for several times
she varies the exercises by dropping the
arms close TO her hips and raising them
above her head without bending the ell
bow, drawing in the breath all tile while,
and letting it out as the arms are
dropped to the hips again. Now she
doubles her fists and draws them towards
her until they strike her shoulders, the
elbows being close by her sides; then she
extends them full to the trout, as though
striking at an imaginary foe, iliiialiug and
.exhaiing her breath witheach motion.
BY this time the muscles OF her arms
are iimbered, her lungs expanded with fresh
air and the blood is tingling in her veins.
she is now ready for the neck exercise. In
this she simply lets her head drop for
ward as though the muscles of the neck
had lost their power The head is then
rolled with a circular motion from side
to side, az Enough she Were trying To see
how large a circle she could describe in
the air with the crown of her head as
marker
In the course of the moving of the head
in this manner every muscle of the neck is
brought into action at some point OF the
circle This is a favorite exercise of
actresses and society girls, and is pro-
ductive of fun. well-rounded Decks.
The next BOULDER exercise is that with
the broomstick The first movement is to
extend the arms at full length to the front,
grasping the stick in both hands; the young
woman then Taisesthemslowlyto to position
over the head and then down behind, keep
ing the arms rigid. At first her hands
had to be widely separated on the stick TO
enable her o do this, but as she progressed
it was not long before the feat could be
done with the hands no more than two
feet apart This exercise develops the
muscles of the arms, chest and back.
She begins another exercise by holding
the stick in the same manner and put
ting her head through without removing
either 1dnu. her Qdlnly tOes Sot AuduS
q crack before she could put her 1oot
over the stick without striking it, but
perseverance conquered, and now she
nuts either foot over and back again
equally well without touching the stick
with her toes. She will soon be able to
jump through it, both feet at once, quite
as easily as she skipped rope at chic
fourteen. In this movement the muscles
of the arms, legs, hips and back are
brought into action, and 1t requires just
enough vigor to create bodily warmth.
Another movement that gives strength
and suppleness to the back Is that OF
leaning forward until the tips of the
fingers touch the toes. In this woman
shows her superiority over man, Tor no
a dam can compete with On Eve IN the
ease and grace with which she can exc
cute this movement. a woman is equally
adept at leaning backwards, and the
trained athletes among them can eaten
hold of their heels before man can re-
cover from his first effort at the back
ward bend There is no exercise that
the athletic young woman takes to more
easily than the forward and backward
bend.
The young lady at exercise is now ready
for the leg swing. In this she tries TO see
how large circle she can describe IN the
air with her great toes as markers, by
swinging first one leg and then the other
AS a developer of the thigh this movement
beats high kicking, as it brings into action
all the muscles of the leg from the ankle
to the hip Sometimes she may vary
this movement by balancing on one loot
and describing a circle on the floor Win
the other, aud she may enliyen 1t with