The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1898-01-22

fne afternoon, aDoul z o CLOCK, says the
Philadelphia Record and observe the
different mannerisms and characteristic
of gait of both men and women as they
pass by. Not one person in twenty really
knows how to walk. Dc you yourself:
Some glide, some trip, some trot, some
waddle and some limp. Faddism has al
different periods dictated a particular
style of pedestrianism, and men and wom-
en- both alter their natural gait to follow
the dictates of foolish fashion.
From your post of observation you see
a girl come along, who c~ultivates the
extraordinary mode of locomotion affect
ed by the "chollies or dudes" for the
last ten years. More than probably, she
is tall, carries nothing in her hands, and
nolds her arms very much akimbo. The
strides-she takes make each step about
so inches long. The upper part of her
body is very much benz forward, and,
from the position of her arms, she needs
about four feet of room. Apparently she
has no knee action, and, although there
is no swiftness, she covers a good bit of
ground. One speculates whether her anx
ious expression is caused by fear of
emitting any part of the business of her
acquired walk.
The neX one to attract your attention
is the athletic girl. who comes along
like a young swhirlwind or fin de steele
ATLANTA. She goes as if she meant to get
there, and as if she thought skirts a great
nuisance. She looks thoroughly well set
up, or fit as she would express it her
self, walks with mead and chin up. shout
ders thrown back, swings her arms as if
she wants RI a1fhoI1Oh If iSnsf tho oon-
ventional thing to do, and walks with
of kicking her skirts.
49,
Hardly has she passed on when your
eye is fixed by the girl who pedestrian
ates', with a swing or wriggle. This is
difficult to describe, and seems to re-
quire a simultaneous movement of the
whole body at each step. A sinuous,
wavy movement begins at the ground
and then extends up the entire length of
the young m Her steps are scarce
ly 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, in
clined to ~embonpoint. who makes up in
energy what she lacks in inches. She
takes tiny, short steps and describes an
arc with the lower half of her body.
There is a great swishing 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 success
full lawyer or banker. He has an alder
manic physique, walks with his coat I'M
buttoned. 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 ponderosity, n is
planted firmly on the ground.
The walk of the very nervous man
who follows close in his wake is all the
more noticeable IN this account. APP
pearing neither to hear, see or feel, he
huddles himself together and walks with
an uncertain, inquiring. half-apologetic
step. He is bumped into a number of
times in a few squares, but does most
of the apologizing himself.
Then there is the walk of the young
society swell, who declines to wear a top
coat even in zero weather, because he
desires to give the impression that he
is exceedingly hardy and athletic. He
carries a very heavy natural wood stick
and wears a green necktie and pink
shirt. Despite the fact that he moves
stiffly and laboriously, he, nevertheless,
seems to move rapidly.
Then you see a dowager wadd1ing along
in amplitude and slowness; a dude slow
1y staggering along. as he has nothing
at all on his mind but to show himself.
A military man passes, too, with his
regulation step of SO inches.
All your observations will be changed
and your ideas in regard to Characters
tic walks shattered if a street piano
should suddenly start up in the vicinity
of your vantage point. A popular mill
tary march is played; then note the diff
ference in gait of everybody, men and
women, within the range of your vision.
Isn't 1t lovely to take ones time in the
shops these days? The articles display
ed are just as fascinating as during the
holiday rush, and what's better, one may
get near them without discomfort and
maintain ones position without a menace
from the ubiquitous elbow. What's bet
ter, there's the constant excitement aris-
ing from the liability to fail upon a bar
gain. Shopping femininity, however, has
learned that everything which is exposed,
bargain fashion, is not necessarily a bar
gain, or, to be quite plain, an article
which for some reason or other is being
sold cheaper than it has been or will
be again. OF course, there'd be no ne
cessity of buying a thing on the spur of
the moment before one hardly knew
whether or not one wanted it if it could
just as well be purchased next week or
next year. So you see, madame, the
hunter on bargains has to be up on prices.
qualities and conditions, or else be com
vinced sooner or later and much against
her will, that, after all, she is no con-
noisseur on that especial fruit, yclept
the bargain.
And have you, gentle reader, after
your last stays had been made anything
but a fit set YOU eye upon a dainty pair
which the enterprising shopkeeper had
adjusted to a wax lady so h~igh-minded
as to be above the necessity of lower
extremities? If so, you open operations
by asking to see some like those on the
figure, at which the glib-tongued young
woman on the other side of the polished
counter says they have none in that
color. To make a long story sort, it
generally turns out that they not only
have none in that color, but non in
that quality and none in that cut but
YOU are kindly informed that the ugly
rnooiuen shown Won is the very same