Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-10-22
THE QUEST OF BEAUTY
How to Correct the Awkward
ness Il a Child.
TO ACQUIRE GRACE
EXERCISES THAT WILL HELP IN
EVERY WAY.
The Cure for One Who Bites
Her Finger
Nails.
TO ACQUIRE GRACE


She deserves the title, as far as appear
ance goes; the most charitable cannot deny
the fact And yet, on careful inspection,
it will be seen that the two pretty girls
have most irregular features. One Is freck-
led; the others face is badly shaped, being
far removed from the ideal oval. The
poor little Ugly Ducklng has straight.
short nose, delicately curved mouth with
sensitive lips, an oval face and clear
complexion. Why is she homely?
The answer is because of awkwardness.
The child has every ungainly habit that a
child can acquire, and all because nobody
has taken the pains to help her break these
habits while she is young and the matter is
comparatively easy.
She is pigeon-to ed. This is not because
of any natural malformation land even if
it were, the matter could very likely be
remedied by exercises or braces), but mere
ly because she has formed the habit of let
ting one toe turn in. The other turns in
neither direction, but points straight ahead.
Next, she is round-shouldered. She is
passionately fond of books and music, and
she has been allowed to sit at the piano or
over book with her shoulders rounded in
distressing manner.
Her forward shoulders cause her chest to
recede. This position affects the whole
body. She is coming to have protruding
abdomen, which almost always accompanies
round shoulders.
She is near-sighted. This may be con-
Sdered misfortune, not a fault We will
return to this matter later.
She bites her nails continually while in
company. Occasionally she bites her pref
ty lips. She is most bashful child, and
her diffidence has led her to pick up these
disagreeabie habits She suffers constantly
from the feeling that people are looking
az her." as she expresses it, and she cannot
sit or stand at repose under the ina gined
stare.
How the Name Came
Do you wonder the poor child is known
as the Ugly DNckling? And that nobody
ever notices that She thas the prettiest fea-
lures of the family? Her manner is so
annoying that no one can see beyond 1t.
She bids fair to remain the wall-fower
of the family during all the years to come.
If only her aunt-for the poor little girl
is motherless-could realize that now Is the
time to take the matter in hand! Every
year that passes will fix the habits more
and more firmly, until they are beyond help,
unless the girls Town will power should
prove strong enough to force her into a
voluntary REFORM But the distorted body
is forming now, and 1t Will mean a difficult
and long and weary process later on to
train the muscles back into their normal
position. gJS1
Some regular exercises would draw those
shoulders back Sas they should be, throwing
the chest into a correct position. Try these,
for instance: ed yIv...,4 s.5.r.i
Hands on hips Let them rest there,
slightly folded knuekles touching the hips
so that the backs of the hands down
ward Elbows out Keeping hands in posi-
ton. force elbows back as far as possible.
This will bring the shoulders back, too.
Repeat in brisk counts of "One, two
Hands chest, resting lightly there;
chest thrown as high as possible. Elbows
out on a level with shoulders. Force ell
bows back and repeat with counts as above
ing nf
ders elbows raised to a level with Shout
ders Force elbows back, as in preceding
movements.
Stretch arms straight in front. clapping;
to the rear, as nearly straight as possible,
clapping.
Strengthen the Back.
These movements and countless others
will tend to strafghten the back. Light
dumbells and Indian clubs and pulley
weights are all beneficial and relieve the
monotony of exercise without apparatus.
If the child is old enough to play light
game of it, tennis gives much stretching,
and is therefore desirable.
ling it would not be necessary to give
exercises to reduce the abdomen, for 1t Is
really no larger than normal. AS soon as
the child's standing and sitting poSitlons
are righted the abdomen Will DE Iotceo oac>
into position.
is the best method in the world TO turn
them in the way they should go. Inc cnlid
enjoys dancing so much that she Is led to
correct her mistake unconsciouSiy, having
pleasure while she is about it. she does
not look upon the lessons as burden Sim
nile little steps, part of dancing, may be
taught her and practiced at home.
Hands on hips heels together, toes out.
Raise the right foot and point the toe
downward, touching it to the floor step
in front of the other foot. Alternate.
Taking the same position, lift the pointed
toe high and circle with the leg, knee rigid.
Keep the balance for several circles, never
letting the foot lose it's graceful position.
Reverse.
Same position Cross right toe in front
of LEFT and hold it there, lightly touching
the floor and pointed daintily. Hold for
several seconds. Reverse.
Same position. Raise right foot, toe
pointed downward, to the right and for
ward. Hold it a foot or more above the
floor knee slightly bent Rise and fall
lightly upon left heel for ten counts; then
reverse.
Care Of the Eyes.
The Ugly Duckling's near-sightedness has
caused her to wear spectacle, which are an
annoyance to her in her play and most
unbecoming piece of wearing apparel. 1t is
quite possible that these might have been
avoided for years to come.
First of all, she has always been allowed
to read far more than is wholesome for
growing child The love of good books is
a blessing and should be encouraged to a
proper degree, but 1t is not right for any
little girl to leave the breakfast table with
a hurried EXCUSE me-" race to her room,
and there bury her nose in a story book,
not to leave it until the lunch bell rings.
This is the way my little lady passes her
summer days. The afternoon finds her at
the same occupation, while the other chill
dren are romping in the sunshine.
Bad Habits Cured.
Besides being. allowed to read too much,
she has been allowed to read In the wrong
way as WELL She has held her book close
to her eyes, with an increasing tendency to
draw it closer. The habit of short sight has
been formed. Oculists of the present day
are making a strong point of this in the
schools. In fact, some have gone SO far
as to invent brace which holds the child's
head in a proper position and prevents his
drawing the book any nearer than is nor
NAL. If parents as well as teachers would
have bit more patience the result might
be accomplished without any apparatus. by
letting the child understand the danger of
INDUCING the eyes in their within,
If your little one Is afflicted In this yvay
first try the experiment of keeping his book
at a proper distance. If he actually cannot
see the letters in this way, then there is a
genuine defect in the vision and a special-