Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-11-30

And some go mora at leisure"
But very few walk gracefully. One gives
you the idea her feet are too heavy, so I'M
elastic is her tread; another walks as if
she is pursued. OF course 1 know that
there are occasions for haste, but even If
you are about to lose a train CT d bargain
there is no reason for holding your body
IN an obi!que position. 1t doesn't help at
all for your head to get there first.
linen another walks as if every step would
jolt her to pieces, and there are some
students of Delsarte who are thinking all
the time just how they must do it, and the
result is an effectatio!l worse than any
aWkWardneSs There are q few who touch
the earth with the manner of goddesses or
OF G-bson's girls. and that is the sort you
want to turn and look after as long as YOU
can see them. but they only increase your
agSraVation against the majority.
French women have a special sty,e of
walking, pretty enough in its way, and
which nake9 their dresses hang better
tnap they do in America; in fact you have
10 Walk that way if you wish your Partisan
their whole bodies forward, keeping them
quite erect all the while, so that a line
dropped from the chin would Just touch the
Dosom and then fall sheer to the toes The
ulIerence is 50 marked that American wo-
men are known at once in Paris even If
they keep their eyes dropped a la Franchise
was at the Sorbonae one day, waiting
Ior lecturer to begin, and 1 overheard two
french matrons behind me discussing
group or girls on the pavement "Ameri-
cans, of course" said one; lust see the
way they carry themselves in a tone of
yirtuous horror Most of the girls who stay
fcrs enough in Paris however, adapt them
selves to the French manner
WOman's Mission.
English girls have a distinctive walk. and
a haN-a rid
better adapted to flowing Greek draperies
than to gored skirts. and the result moves
to amazement rather than to admiration.
Walking is an art that deserves to be Gull
tivated, especially in these athletic days.
In the old-fashioned novel the aesthetic
heroine never walked. She always moved"
or floated airily," or ''glided." Imagine
the new woman floating airily.
It's strange that woman doesn't realize
that 1t is her mission to be graceful. We
cannot all be pretty but the charm of
grace, even more potent than that of
.eauty, can be acquired by any ore who win
take enough trouble. And why should any
woman be willing to make herself ridicu-
lous? It's on rainy days that we have the
best example of the ludicrousin woman al
though perhaps we should be grateful for
anything to relieve the teiium of the
weather, But to see lovely woman trotting
along the street Intellectually grasping her
skirt at the side and displaying some inches
sweep up the mud in the rear, is a sight to
make You weep or smile, according to your
sex. Since La Mode has ordained that skirts
must be worn so long that they have to be
held up in wet weather. how to hold your
skirt should be studied as necessary corol-
larry of how to walk.
French Independence.
The French woman doesn't bother herself
about her skirts trailing-not she. 1t is the
first thing the astonished American notices
when he reaches Paris. Madame gets a
comprehensive grip on the back d-aperies
lifts them all to about a foot from the
grcu- and holds them at the side. None of
| the sticky slime that collects on the streets
there during the winter touches the hem of
her garments. I walked a square one day
on the Faubourg st. Honore behind a portlv
dame in q circular cloak. The wrap came to
some six inches below her knees, and a per-
spective view led me to believe that she
wore no skirt.
closer inspection showed one. but what
was visible below the wrap was tightly
drawn around above her shoe tops. and she
looked just like small child in a cloak,
magnified to immense proportions. When
passed her L glanced at her face; il was
thoroughly self-satisfied ard unconscious.
And this is French taste! thought l.
Inc German women are determined too
| that their skirts shall not toucn. They seize
a hahd1ul on both sides and hold it up few
inches. 1t is success so far as the preser-
walton of the dress is concern I'd, but the eff
| feet isn't the most graceful. It's simple
enough to hold the dress properly but like
| all simple matters it's hard for the masses
to learn. Just take hold of the back folds
all together and lift them an inch or two
Don't bring them around to the side. for
that savors too much Of the gay Partisan
Tor American taste; and be sure you get all
the folds in your hand. OF course it's tire
some, but We hope some day N the rear
| future we can wear our bicycle skirts on
Oh yi,,e
absence of our wheels.
And, If you want 10 walk Well. hold your
SELF erect-dont throw your shoulders back,
though you have probably often heard that
piece OF erroneous advice. just keep them
in natural position. Don't put your toes
down first, like dancing master. but try
| to make both heel and ball of the foot touch
the ground at once. Hold your body firmly,
your head up, your chin in; and walk
| great deal with these things in mind: and
after awhile those who see you gill under
stand how the poet could say, when enamor-
| ed of the walk of his lady love:
Her feet have touchad tho