The evening times., 1898-01-20
CRITICAL STUDY
OF WOMAN'S CHIT
Observations on the Various
Styles of Pedestrianism.
What MAY BE Noticed Any After
noon on Pennsylvania Avenue
or r street.

No two human beings are alike, anu
this is particularly so of their manner
of walking Station yourself at COM
Portable point of vantage on Pennsyl-
yania avenue or + street any fine al
ternoon, and observe the different man
nerisms and characteristics of gait
Of both men and women as they pass
by. Not one person in twenty really
knows how to walk. Do you yourself?
Some glide. some trip, some trot, some
waddle and some limp. Faddlsm mas
at different periods dictated particu-
lar style of pedestrianism, and men
and women both alter their natural
gait to follow the dictates of foolish
fashion.
From YOUR post of observation you
see q girl come along who cultivates
the extraordinary mode of locomotloh
affected by the "chollies or dudes lor
the last ten years. More than proDa-
bly she is tall, carries nothing IN her
hands and holds her arms very much
akinnbo. The strides she takes makes
each step about 30 inches long. The up
per part of her body is very much bent
forward. and. from the position of her
arms. she needs about four feet OF
room. Apparently she has no knee ac-
tion. and. although there is no swift
ness she covers good bit of ground.
one specuIates whether her anxious eX-
preston is caused by fear of omittlns
any part of the business of her acquir-
ed walk.
The next one 10 attractyour attention
is the athletic girl, who comes along
like a young whirlwind or fin de steele
Atalanta. she goes as il she meant TO
get there. and as if she thought skirts
be- q hps Oh
well set up. or ''fit.'' as she would eN-
press il herself. walks with head and
chin up. shoulders thrown back, swings
her arms as if she wants to, although IL
isn't the conventional thing to do, ana
walks with a springy step, as If she
wasn't afraid Of kicking her skirts.
Hardly has she passed on when your
eye is fixed by the girl who pedestrian
ates" with a swing or wriggle. rms is
difficult to describe, and seems To re-
quire a simultaneous movement Of the
"a Mole body at each step. a sinuous.
wavy movement begins at the ground
and then extends up the entire length
of the Young woman. Her steps are
scarcely noticeable; she seems to float,
and her skirts still further carry out
this zephyr effect. as they are very
clinging. and whirl around as she moves
along
Then here comes the short woman.
inclined 10 embonpoint, who makes up
in energy what she lacks in inches.
She takes tiny, short steps and de-
scribes an arc with the lower half of
her body There is great swishins
Of skirts. and the general effect OF
movement all over without advancing
very rapidly.
Having tired Of femininity. perhaps,
YOU observe the advance OF the sue
cessful lawyer or banker. He has an
aldermanic physique, walks with his
coat unbuttoned and thrown back, his
arms swing free, and when his friends
bow as they pass by he answers with
a half-salute He progresses slowly,
and each step is the step of ponderosi-
~. and is planted firmly on the ground.
The walk of the very nervous man
who follows close in his wake rs all
the more noticeable on this account. APP
nearing neither TO hear, see or feel, he
huddles himself together and walks
with an uncertain. inQuiring. haif-ap-
ologetic step. He is bumped into
number of times i'm few squares, but
does most of the apologiZing himself.
Then. there is the walk of the young
society swell. who declines 10 wear
top-coat even in zero weather. because
he desires to give the impression that he
is exceedingly hardy and athletic. lie
carries a very heavy natural wood stlck
and wears a green necktie aid pink
shirt Despite the fact that he moves
stifiy and laboriously, he. nevertheless,
seems to move rapidly.
Then. you see a dowager waddllng
along in amplitude and sloWness'
dude slowly staggering along. as he
has nothing at all on his mind but to
show himself military man passes,
too. with his regulation step of thirty
three inches.
All your observations will be changed
and your ideas in regard to character
istic walks shattered if street piano
should suddenly start up in the Nlcln-
ity of your vantage point. popular
military march is played; then note
the difference in gait OF eNerEpouH,
men and women. within the range of
your vision.