The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-08-21
WOMAN'S CROOKED LIMBS.
ARMS That ARE HURT BIZ TIGHT
SLEEVES AND WaISTS.

NNNIANNt VI wv DuNy Also IL
BlRme-CRusos of Bow Legs and Knees
That Kn~ook-COuntry Girls Better ON
Than City Girls, Says an Athlete.
Riding downtown on o Broadway cable car
one day q woman overheard one man say 10
another. Every woman has either crooked
legs or crooked arms" As soon as she had an
opportunity sho tried to s~traighten out one
arm and found that It formed quite an angle at
the elbow. stretch It as hard ns she could. She
then stretched out both arms with the palms
upward. They we're parallel only to the elbow.
There they began to DIVORCE until there was a
difference Of at least six inches Mt the end Of
the little fingers. She felt that she was de.
formed. She went around tho circle Of her no.
Quaintances and found only one young woman
whose arms would stand the test. and she was
knock-kneed. The arms of her men frienda
she found to be as straight IA an arrow. She
asked II professional athlete about IL and told
him what the man in the cable car had said.
1T is not strictly true" said the professor.
but the fact is that the great majority Of
women are either knock-kneod. bow-legged. too
fat. too lean. undeveloped. or disproportloned
in some way. and 1 rarely see n straight arm on
q woman"
why. then. do most men have straight arms
and legs ?" she asked.
Men are often crooked in their legs. Few
are absolutely straight; that is. In this country.
But their arms are straight"
why are thcir legs crookedp"
For the same reason that women's legs are
crooked. because there is nothing done 10
straighten them and because Of neglect In
babyhood. The English are more careful than
the Americans. The little cartilages Of babies
are soft and unable to bear the weight Of the
body and bend one way or another. II they
bend inward the children become knock-kneed
and II outward they are bow -leRGed Before the
bones form is the time to train the little bodies.
The legs shoul be bandaRed to be kept
straight until they are strong enough to bear
the weight Of the body without bending. You
never see a crooked-legEed German. They
would not be taken into the army. And look Al
the Indians OF Americar"
But you wouldn't bandage tho arms. toot
would you ?"
mo; but I would massage them. I began
with my own baby when she was only O few
weeks old. and massaged both her little leRs
md arms. besides bandaging the legs every
day. Now she is as straight as can be. I gave
her little dumbbells, too. when only six months
and taught her how to use them. She
knows all the movements and exercises now.
and she is only two years old"
"Then you say that women's arms are almost
always crooked. while mems arms are almost
always straight. Why is that ?"
For one thing, men exercise more and leave
their arms freer. Look at the country lass.
She is as straight as a die. It is untrammelled
nature that gives her her wonderful figure,
which is almost perfect. h lives in the afr.
as her brothers do: jumps fences. climbs trees.
walks. leads the horses to water. and does Q
thousand things which develop her body UNI
consciously. It 10 not that the farmers wife
knows more about the proper development Of
her child. but nature 10 allowed to help the
good work on. Most country girls have splen-
did figures. When they walk they swing the
arm from the shoulder. with every muscle re-
Taxed. Sometimes they carry o pail OF milk
In : each Ihand or swing on the branch Of
o tree. stretching the arms out perfectly
straight. Then. again. the country girl 10
not oramped by the fashions-tight sleeves
and tight waists and laced corsets. These
things all make the arms crooked. restrain
their free action. and force them into false and
crooked positions. The country girl wears her
loose all over. as it should be. Think
Of Venus IN q corset and tight ~sleevesi The
country girl can reach anywhere with her arms
and can lift any weight above her head easily.
her city cousin has to bea accomplished
contortionist in order to get her hat and veil
arranged. As to her legs. the low-heeled shoe.
or none at all. Is responsible for their straight
Then you think these crooked arms are the
results OF our fashions, do you 2"
sr@s osly e hIEh5; T6s tI{sSt Ealsss slsp PPii
wrong position; re- Shape oit6e slssys holds
IKE s sh@ IL e saen' E RlssyS' aRGt e sTqEsd cf IN zee
SEI$ sfsh . as$ssP: e :Ss so% S5$s. ss y 7 I Rss ,EssSi s%s
then sSS The The ff fS.v time ne they sSym,S were amin d1 'sTitsS;
spoil al" these' arms STSRfcR have. been
n the popular shirt waists 50
help out the undsveioped forms by allowing
The If, freedom SsGoc,. The young = girl who b l dSsDd in
country cousin. Her mother does not know
like ToPsy,. and grows crooked. Such. a girl
needs physical CULTURE J, Are along certain ines t2
saF @ se out R q doo 81 sTsfRiiqRR9 sSe iac EXERCISES ana
D%o!!!gtlOP 3G q t6s problem oT Tor thls NY sltIt$S =. a.
sncom a% nIPsb1d OF exercise InNts 10 or a training . has been
The exercise must be taken With dIscretion
early an age as possible. There Is one glass OF
children Thh9 are never neglected. and those
tTapeze performers, and, other professionals;
SSSDis rs stgslsiGt tie lSsss de sRS lHE~s 81. phssi:
an %n sthlet g as s sG n Etth so sas Of P aRs :tleSHre e
women I know Of, although perfectly STRAIGHT
an English word for a certain make OF tights
containing, the requisite amount OF padding,
can always tell the difference"
Vel. l suppose my training should have
peen peHqn some forty or more years ago.
them" said the woman laughinGly.
,r nHn9l Everything has its remedy Snd
Y never too old to %straiRhten her arms and legs.
or three months Of the right, kind Of exers
siseLIGorEectlve exeTcises-wil obliterate that
Well. what would you do with them 2" she
asked, ANXIOUS to begin. and holding them out
Bhe looked at her arms very discontentedly.
/" In the first place. you would have to take OF
that tight clothing, so that you would b0
Wear loose clothing only. Then every effort
must, be made TO hold the arms straight con.
upper Arm. Exercises with the dumbbelIs and