The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1901-09-06


tied with more or less regu-
y larity a ladies' natatorium on
- the edge OF the sea. Women
and girls go there by the hun
dred TO swim and lave in the cool. green
salt water. There is a reception room
where they frequently rest or eat a
biscuit before going home after their
bath. i have noticed in that room-I
could not help seeing II. could I?-that
many women of 40 cannot stoop over to
button or tie their own shoes. but have
some little daughter or an attendant TO
do it for them. These women look ex-
tremely healthy. strong enough to chop
wood II they had 10, yet in the prime OF
life, with muscles that ought TO swing
and thrill and expand in triumph. hard
ly a woman OF them all could stoop
down. i don't know when l have been
more discouraged with middle aged wo-
man, the lumpish. oxlilxe, clumsy crea-
ture OF this type.
The womens daughters were timber
and active; the mothers. who ought to
have been yet stronger and more active.
were content to slump down into de-
crepit, helpless old bodies at 40 TO so
years of age. Worst of all, they SEEM
ed TO be quite lost 10 any sense of
shame in the matter.
Human life is lengthenlng. II is
quite possible that several of you who
are middle aged and who are now read
ing this will have to live TO be a hun
dred. Are you preparing to do IL In
good shape? Can you ride a bicycle
two or three hours at a stretch and
M Ixa vyhola dayfa ionrnau On a. uyft1,
occasional rests? Can you walk ten
miles? Can you stoop over forward
without bending your knees a particle
and lay the palms of your hands fiat
upon the floor? After you are dressed
and laced up in your sideboards can
you stoop over and pick up your hand !.
kerchief off the floor? Above all, can
you tie or button your shoes?
Again, when you sit I'm cflair do you |
plunk yourself down like lump of \
putty striking a brick, with no more |
ease or suppleness or lightness than |
that? Once more. when you rise from /
that chair do you lift yourself quickly /
and gracefully with your feet without |
your hands or elbows TO the
sides of the chair. or do you pry your
self up by your arms. with a grunt and
a groan like a rickety old wagon start
Ing TO move?
Or do you never think anything about
these matters at all7 II you do not,
let me call your attention to, let us say,
the average of women a generation old
er than you are. Look at them, study
them. They are the women who prob
ably paid no more attention to keeping
their bodies in active condition than do
you now. There they are, decrepit. tot
tering. wearing hideous loose gowns
and sloppy slippers, rarely leaving
home. tended like babies months old,
With nothing OF the baby's sweetness,
,ut with their bodies in a state of re-
,ulsive senile decay. They have let
themselves slump down physically and
heir minds have gone to pieces in pro-
'ortion. for clear, strong mind cannot
manifest through neglected body.
Well. these helpless old creatures are
lbsolutely useless In the world. lust
Waiting till death collars them with his
'ony fingers and says. Come along!"
honestly and truly my lady of 40 or so
r so. are you willing to become like
hat? Do you believe 1t is necessary TO
'ecome like that? Listen while L tell
ou.
Look you at Nine. Sarah Bernhardt.
he most marvellous old young woman
live, playing perfectly the character
{ boy of is. have seen her in "L'Ai-
lon." her face scarcely made up at all
or the part. i have also seen her in
woman's attire, and no guess
1g would place her much past 30. l.
awhile ago a reporter asked her how
he managed TO look SO young.
Look young?" said Sarah. II look
oung because i am young" Sarah viii
e SO next birthday. Next to ner in
omitably youthful spirit and mental
ctivity, IL is her incessant physical ac-
witty that keeps her young. Fresh air
nd constant physical exercise are to ,
er the bread of life.
Look you. again, at Professor Ernst
iaeckel, the great biologist, 81 years ,
Id, bounding up stairs two steps at a ,
me, now In Java exploring under the
-opicel sun TO find remains of the fos-
Il ape man. At college nearly so years
go Haeckel was one of the champion ,