Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-06-25
THE QUEST OF BEAUTY
A Good Old ashioned Swing
is One Way.
ROYAL ROAD TO HEALTH
USING AN AMUSEMENT FOR
OTHER PURPOSES.
Hardly Any Place Too Small to
Hang One-Useful
Hints.

Written for The Evening Star by Katherine Morton.
Whether you are on farm or In VII
lage, or in city. with only a square back
yard to call your own. you can grow lovely
on the strength of an old-fashioned swing.
There is no place too small to hang one in.
And so long as you have one hanging you
can hang too, and thereby grow supple and
strong.
Perhaps you always thought that the
swing was for the youngsters. Not at all
A society girl has found that out. She has
driven her small sisters and brothers and
their army of friends away from the swing
for an hour every morning, and during that
time she has carried on a physical culture
class according to her own original fashion
She is teacher. pupil-in fact, the whole
class-and the swing. consisting of an old
manila rope and one well-worn board, is
her complete gymnasium apparatus.
Already her arms and legs are beginning
to show wonderful changes. A year ago
she was ashamed to go in swimming, she
humbly confesses. because Il did look
ridiculous in bathing suit. Her whole
figure Is improving rapidly.
Nowadays there are swings to be pur-
chased In the sporting goods stores at a
high price-swings meant to eclipse the old
time one that has been dear to childhood
ever since our grandmotherS can remember.
They are made of a handsome blue ana
white webbing instead of rope; there are
all sorts of complex and enduring hooks
and staples attached, and, best or all. the
swings are made to be used for gymnasium
work as we'll as for the simple joy of riding
in the air. Besides the board seat, there Is
a bar, which can be adjusted in place of
the seat; the swing, meanwhile, is raised
and your miniature trapeZe awaits you
Furthermore, there are iron rings which
can be attached to the webbing after the
removal of the seat, and you have pair
of gymnasium rings.
Deserves Credit.
The man who patented this complex and
useful apparatus is certainly deserving of
much credit However, you can carry out
the same idea. at much smaller expense.
There is no reason why you cannot pur-
chase your own bar and rings and attach
them to the ropes of your own old swing.
You may have to do considerable tying of
knots which is more awkward than slip
ping webbing through a neat buckle or
slide, but you will achieve the same results
However, the swing as a mere SWING Will
do wonders for you if you set to work, as
this enterprising girl has done, to get out
of 1t every possible benefit. Your little sis
ter, who plays in 1t by the hour without
A thought of anything but fun, is laying up
for her young lady future store of beauty
If YOU can take your physical culture as
joyfully and unconscentiouSly as she does,
so much the better. Probably you can at
the years of discretion which you nave
reached However, be as cheerful about II
as YOU can. When a recent magazine writer
described physical culture classes as places
where ''middle-aged wives are to be seen
solemnly hopping about on one foot.
decided that our women have failed TO get
at the real spirit of the beauty teachlng,
no matter how conscientiouSly they have
been following the letter of its laws
Hank back to the days of your youth and
think of how you used TO work up
Sometimes 1t was sitting, sometimes stand
ing. In sitting, you pull back hard on the
ropes straining the arm and shoulder mus
Gle in doing so. You also thrust the feet
and legs straight forward, bringing all
their muscles into use. AS regularly as the
swing of the pendulum you relax from this
tension. letting the swing carry itself by
the momentum you have given it. Then
again comes the stiffening of the body, the
strong push of all the force of your mus
cles to increase the momentum. All sorts
of good things are happening to your body
while you are going through this
Working It Up.
When you "work up" in standing posi-
ton the legs will do less of the motor
work and the arms more. Make the whole
trunk assist. Bend far down and pull with
your whole might when you are tugging for
the momentum. You will feel the trunk
muscles working as well as those of tha
arms. The knees will come in for their
share.
practice that will make a sturdy sailor
lassie of you In no time. Begin now your
hand-over- hand work. You will never re-
greet it, for 1t is one OF the best exercises q
woman can indulge in. Treat your hands
gently IL they are not accustomed to this
sort of thing. There Is no use IN raising
giant bisters which may incapacitate you
from further athletic fun. If perchancs