Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-09-03
THE QUEST OF BEAUTY
How Far Balancing Exercises
Will Achieve It.
FIGURE AND CARRIAGE
MOVING GRACEFULLY Is A MAT
TER OF BALANCE.
Useful Suggestions Along This Line
Health and Toilet
Hints.
FIGURE AND CARRIAGE

written Ior Inc Evening Star by Katherine Nortou
Figure is one thing, remember, and car
riage another. You may have good fig
ure without good carriage and vice versa
Some one has called carriage the technique
Of the figure. See to it that your form ac-
Quires that technique.
An odd compliment came to my ears the
other day. THAT girl has the best figure
I ever saw for girl who hasn't any," re-
marked shrewd woman Of the world. The
bull sounded drolI one, but upon glance
at the young lady in question 1t was evil
dent what she meant. The poor girl was
Known to be in the early stages of con-
sumption, and already she was sadly thin,
a sorry sight for those who could read the
warning. But she had not succumbed to
the weakness and WEAKNESS that the dis
ease brought on. She carried herself like
a little princess-head up, shoulders back,
every muscle of her body apparently full
OF elasticity. Her figure was really mis-
eraply wasted, and yet she seemed, at
first glance, to be well built.
A rounded form you must have If you
would nave Ideal beauty; but all the curves
and correct lines that golf bowling and
the gymnasium can give you will be worth
less, SO far as personal appearance goes
II you do not throw forward the chest that
you nave developed and throw back the
shoulders that have been losing their
angles. Many normally formed woman
looks thin because she allows her chest to
cave IN, or stout because she has pro-
trudlng abdomen. The reducing or building
up of flesh and muscle takes long time
and hard work in some cases, but the learn
ing OF pose and poise is simple enough once
you set about it with a right good will
There is no reason for putting it off until
the Inquire Is perfect; have at least one
beauty If you are obliged to wait awhile
for the other.
The Essentials.
Balance and elasticity are at the bot
tom OF all grace. Balancing exercises are
lessons IN grace. But before you begin
any Of these, bring your body to the cor
Iect position
Inc idea of correct position, whether
standing or walking or dancing is to bear
the least possible weight upon the feet
Hght step has always been looked upon as
a a charn. Even the poets have recognized
us beauty. Scott relates of a lady that the
flowers raised their heads after she had
trodden upon them. The AIRY tread" is
very little dependent upon the size of your
shoes A number five E is no excuse for a
heavy step. A small footed woman often
sounds heavier than her sister of the large
foot. Elasticity of the whole body affects
your tread as nothing else can.
Stand before the mirror and take a per-
up, shoulders back easily not stift1y, chest
forward. knees and abdomen back Let the
hands fall at the sides. Now slowly raise
them laterally, palms down, meanwhile in
haling deeply Raise them until they are
on a level with the shoulders, then bend
them at the elbows and lay the hands light
ly on the high, inflated chest. Hold the
breath as long as you comfortably can, all
the while feeling yourself lifted by it, SO to
speak; the whole body seems to rise in re-
Spouse to the breath. you are less Of
weight than before When you exhaIe. do
slowly and gently. not permitting the
body to fall back heavily; keep it elastic.
merely letting the chest relax. Repeat this
process five times-is 1t necessary tor me to
say that it should be done out of doors or
in a room with open windows ?-then you
are ready to begin balancing exercises.
The Beginning.
Begin by standing one foot on some
small object-a flower pot upside down is a
suitable article Poise upon it as lightly as
possible, keeping your weight as much in
the air as you can. A good way to do this
is to imagine that you will break the flower
pot unless you bear lightly upon 1T. Little
by little you may raise it by putting books
and other articles under it; if you are In
clned to dizziness this Is a good way to
overcome the annoying weakness
At first you will probably throw out your
arms wildly to keep your balance. but in
time YOU will retain 1t with perfect calm,
and then you must inhale just as you did In
the beginning while on terra frma. Be
sure to practice with each foot.
Now for little walk. An ordinary plank
standing on edge will provide an avenue
for the stroll. Walk it just you often
walked a railroad track in your young days.
to see how long you could keep from slip
ming to the ground. Persist until you can
go up and down 1t any number of times and
turn around at the ends without slipping
All the time bear in mind that you are to
walk lightly, ever so lightly
Are you wondering what good all this
knack of balancing will ever bring you?
Watch women get out of carriages and cars
for one thing. How many do 1t graceful
ly? Some step out timidly, apparently
a dull thud / can remember being dread
fully ashamed when l was little girl on
the occasion of an old gentlemans taking
me to drive When he helped me ahght
from the buggy put foot upon the step,
then threw my weight upon him he ex-
tended his arms. and he lifted me to the
ground.
A Useful Lesson.
MY dear child" he said, ct is plain you
never had brother. He would have taught
you to get out of a buggy more gracefully
than that" Thereupon he gave me the les
son which had never had in the art of
springing lightly and fearlessly SO that al
most none of my weight came upon the
gentleman arms.
wet or icy sidewalk steep stairs. the
narrow step Of a street car. the step of
carriage, hundred places come upon in
everyday life give one an opportunity to dis
play the art, of balance. A young woman
once stirred my admiration by avoiding
the muddy path of carriage step and d
scending by gathering her skirt with one
hand. placing foot upon the wheel and
springing lightly to the ground. unassisted.
One who is not sure-footed would not dare
do this. To tie sure. 1t is not the conven-
tional mode of aHghting. but there are
many occasions when it may be used con-
veniently. rs -
More than this, there is always a differ
ence in the walk of one who is sure-footed
and one who is not. even on the smoothest
sidewalk. A freedom of motion comes to
be habitual to the one who is never afraid
of her steps The other displays a certain
hesitation.
Garry Heads Well.
Our American; girls are known for the
superb way in which they hold their heads.
They are said to have the carriage of prin-
cesses by those who live in lands of prin-
cesses. To be true American and recog-