The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1898-11-06

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learn how to carry the body prop
u erly. Health and grace, without
which beauty cannot exist, depend
upon the carriage of the body. Rounding
shoulders bring about narrow chests.
Narrow chests restrict the action OF the
lungs, and weakness of the lungs pro-
duces tendency to stoop. And while
there is a popular belief that the line of
beauty IS curved, this does not apply in
the case of ones spine, for the spine of
beauty, l assure you, is as straight as
the stern line of duty is supposed to be-
So the very first thing to learn is to
stand erect. Head up, shoulders back
and down, bust out and stomach in is
rule for standing and walking that can
not be improved upon.
However, to be erect 1t is not necessary
TO sway so far back as to give beholders
an uncomfortable sensation that you are
in imminent danger of falling over back
ward and distributing your brains upon
the pavement.
If woman stands correctly, a plumb
line dropped from a point marked by the
tip of her nose will meet at point one
inch in front of her great toe.
The arms should be allowed free move
ment; in fact, should be so relaxed as to
fall in natural and graceful positions.
Distribute the weight equally upon
both feet. So many women have habit
of standing upon one foot, thus causing
one hip to become higher than the other.
Turn the toes well out. To be pigeon
toed" or 'parrot-toed" may be considered
beautiful In the realm of the Mikado,
but the American maiden must toe out.
When child shows a tendency TO stoop
and become round-shouldered the best
way to correct the inclination is to place
a book upon her head and in each hand
a bucket containing equal amounts of
water, and make her walk the length of
the hall or yard several times daily with
out splitting the water or letting the book
fall. This will be rather a difficult feat
at first, but if persevered in will surely
result in a. queenly carriage. | wish there
We're military schools for girls as there
are for boys, where the teaching of how
to walk and breathe correctly is part
of the curriculum.
l think women are beginning to give
greater attention to the laws of health
than they did quarter of century ago.
The improved feminine physique of the
present day, the athletic out-of-door life
that many of our girls indulge in is EVIL
dence that they are beginning to realize
that pale fragility, that blow-away- alta
breath look is not beautiful and that to
retain the full glory of their womanhood
they must have health and strength.
OF course, there are public clubs and
gymnasiums here, where women can go
and exercise, but 1 wonder why none of
you girls have ever got up private
gymnasium. That's a splendid scheme.
girls. Doesn't some one of you happen
or large, airy attic, that could be used
for this purpose?
Invite only your most cherished friends
to join, secure the service of a competent
teacher of physical culture, and then
meet together once or twice a week and
swing clubs, twist overland bars. vault,
tumble and perform on the trapeze. The
pleasure of the moment, cheerful COM
partnership and laughter will add greatly
to the benefits Of this exercise and my
word for it, after time some of you will
be scarcely recognizable, your physical
development will be so marked and your
compilations so much frightened.
ha 0ir w aff ho Iur
ury of a gymnasium, there are simple
caiisthenlcs that can be performed at
home, without apparatus or aid of any
kind.
The following exercises, If INDUCED in
every day will help wonderfully toward
arriving at that physical perfection that
SO many women are striving for.
First of all then, take the correct stand
ing position described in the first part of
this talk. Now take from ten TO twelve
long, full but slow inspirations of air,
breathing and exhaiing through the nos
trils,
Then describe a circular movement with
each arm fifteen times in succession. Ex-
tend the arms forward, outward and up
ward, twenty times in succession. Take
eight or ten deep inspirations.
Execute a circular movement from the
waist, swaying the upper part of the body
slowly round, the hands resting on the
hips, twenty times.
Extend the leg as nearly at right an
giles with the body as possible. ten times
each side. Take eight or ten deep inspi-
TdilOnS.
Extend and bend the foot fifteen times
each side; perform the gesture of reaping
or saving twenty times; bend each knee
rapidly fifteen times; take eight or ten in
SEPARATIONS.
Raise the arm swiftly and rapidly ten
times in succession: throw out both arms
simultaneously fifteen or twenty times;
take eight or ten deep inspirations.
Lie down fiat upon the floor or upon the
bed with arms laid straight by the side,
then without changing in the least the
trunk slowly to a sitting posture. After
a moments rest, drop back again to a re-
cumbent position and repeat ten times.
Bend the head forward and then back
ward gently ten times Then move it
sideways, first one way and then the
other
Never continue these exercises to the
point of exhaustion, or they will prove
Injurious instead of beneficial. For weak
ly girls the movements must be modified
or curtailed, and they must always stop