The Newtown bee., 1904-02-19

straight and her body erect. She
must learn to poise herself properly,
throwing her weight on the balls of
her feet and resisting the temptation
to sway backwards. That is tenden- |
cy which grows upon women as they |
advance in years and in flesh. If they |
do not "stand SO straight that they |
lean the other way" they let their
shoulders droop until the middle Of |
back is like a hump. All about the |
country one may see womenin the late
fifties who have pent their shoulders
until they look almost as though they
were deformed. This could have been
spared them If they had taken little
pains early in life. And even an elder
ly woman can do much to correct such
a stoop If she is willing to give herself
trouble about it.
To stand straight is neither to bend
backwards nor to droop forwards.
The prominent abdomen is as insight
ly as the bumped up shoulders. The
woman with a trend towards either
should exercise herself every day stand
ing in front Of mirror. She is wise
if she follows the advice of one sensible
housekeeper and hangs a looking glass
in the kitchen where she can see her.
self as she steps back and forth about
her work and bring herself up with
round turn if she slips into any sloven-
ly trick Of carriage.
The corset will give a good figure
! for time, but woman must work to
keep it. II she is too thin for beauty
the task will be simpler for her than
for the woman inclined to put on flesh.
The latter has her work ahead Of her.
The thin woman may have to take ex-
ercise, as the stout one must do, but
she has less to carry about with her
while she is doing it. For both it is
essential that exercise should be TAX
en- indoors and out. The latter is
vastly preferable, for obvious reasons.
But the exercise indoors is far better
than nothing.
One woman, who would be called
ela1f her years were known, has never,
for fifteen years, failed to 60 through
a certain course of what she calls her
Gymnastics, - on rising in the morn
ing. For ten minutes daily, she bends
and twists her body, STOPPING until
she sits on her heels and rising with.
out laying hold of anything to assist
her. She leans forward until she can
touch the floor with her finger tips,
without bending the knees, and back
wards until her forehead is in contact
with the wall. She swings her arms
about, kicks the air vigorously and in
every way she can brings all her mus
cles into play. AS result of this she
is as brisk and agile as women many
years her junior and asserts that she
never means to grow old but to keeE
her strength and vigor to the end. Al
she probably will.
When such exercises as this are tax
en- it should be with the window open
even in cold weather. There is no ust
initiating the lungs unless you fill then
with fresh air. For this reason as vel
as for many others, outdoor exercise
is preferable to that taken in a gym
nasium, no matter how we'll equipped
this may be. At the best, it is only ;
substitute. Long walks, horsebacl
rides, bicycle spins, golf or tennis, all
do their share in developing che mus
cles, reducing adipose tissue OF
Strengthening the body to gain flesh
Zone at least Of these is needed to keer
the figure in shape, or failing this, on
must follow the exercises have out
lined. These may be aided by sucl
appliances as lifting machine, dumb
bells, Indian clubs, and the like. Be
cause of the many muscles called int
play by it, ping-pong is one of the hes
house games known. 1t encourage
bending and STOPPING and reaching
and stretching, and by all these mean
develops and improves the figure.
But, says some one, "How can thi
be done in the long, straight front col
set pictured elsewhere? 1t cannot
But there are corsets which come t.
be worn on such occasions. The rit
bon girdle corset, made either in heav
satin ribbon or in wide tape, or th
short equestrian corset is adapted
Nall sorts Of vigorous exercise. 1t is a
SO excellent for the women who do
n good deal of housework, which require
!. bending over and STOPPING. While j
!. does not hold in the over-plump figur
II as a heavier, longer corset would do,
II is far better to yield a little restri
tion than to break corset steels an
!. suffer discomfort at the same time.
Is A woman can never allow herself I
d become careless about her corset
v Having gone to the expense and pair
Il OF procuring one and learning how t
, wear 1T she should not let the gal
= Slip away from her. When her corse
e becomes old and out of shape 81
II should have it re-boned, as it is wort
e while to do with good corset. Neve
r. should she relax her vigilance owe