Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-10-01
GIRLS, BE MORE Graceful.

Study Your Sitting Down and Getting
Up. That You May Improve 1t.
From the Philadelphia Press.
One really expects to hear the average
woman emit a groan when she either sits
down or rises from her seat, because the
necessary movements are SO ungraceful. To
rise, she heaves herself forward on the
chair. puts her hands on her knees, leans
forward as If stiffly hinged at the hips,
pushing her shoulders up, makes a pause
with red face. during which one listens for
the groan, and then by main force begins
to straighten the knees and so push up,
still supported in jack-knife fashion by the
grip of the hands. Lastly, she begins to
straighten up the shoulders, and by this
time may be considered up"
An exaggeration? Let us hope SO. but
watch out and you will find that in many
cases 1t is not. AS to sitting down. such q
woman comes close to the chair, leans for
ward to be again singularly jack-knifed.
and, with her hands on her limbs above
the Knees, she increases the sharpness Of
the angle, while at the same time she
brings herself nearer the chair and over
hangs the seat Of 1t. Then comes the ag-
onized pause and a "let co. that slumps
sure will jolt out Of her some cultural
of relief,
Instead Of this dreadfully jerky. on-the-
fnstallment-plan performance. a woman
should gracefully bend from a standing to
sitting posture, should melt. not col
lapse, into the enfolding arms of the chair.
From being zgure of steadily end lightly
balanced poae on her pretty feet she
graceful restfulness When she rises her
body should seem to be gradually reused,
and then slowly, evenly. without crook or
jerk, should float into erectness. This is
now the graceful woman ,!oes it. She
stands not 200 near the chair, one foot
goes back little till the limb touches the
seat Of the chair at the edge; and the other
toe Is never lost sight of as it peers from
urder the edge of the gown.
Now the back foot takes all the weight,
the knee bends ana the body is held erect
all the time, though 1t sways backward a
little as the weight shifts. The body is
lowered slowly and steadily. the front foot
Is slipping outward and adding sieaGiness.
When the figure reaches the seat Of the
chair it relaxes gracefully, and the sweep
Ing motion is continued in the sinking
back of the shoulders till the body is sup
ported by the back Of the chair. when the
head. prettily poised ill now. completes the
motion by dropping back and little to one
side Let the hands fall idly and the whole
figure is in repose
Watch her as she rises. Heal starts first,
shoulders forward next, till the body Is up
right on The hips, then on the back foot
the weight Is lifted slowly and evenly in
continuance of the motion to Greatness in
the chair. The other foot slips back as the
figure rises, till, when complete Greatness Is
resumed. the weight rests evenly on both
feet. While few women do these things
as badly as in the dreadful example here
quoted, few do it just right and there's
chance for improvement with nearly all.
So practice it a few times, trying with a
high chair first and then with lower and
lower ones.
With practice and persistence you will be
able to droop on 20 cushion Oh the floor
with move that shall be one unbroken
bending of grace on grace. from upright to
reclining ease, and so back again. You
will get crooks and things in yonr knees
and back. but you will be me more grace
full in all motions from the practice.