Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-02-06
ACT LIKE CHILDREN
NOW AND THEN IF IS A GOOD
THING FOR GRoWN-UPs.
Importance and Value Of Playing
Horse or Taking Part in
Pillow Fight.


that they are grown-ups and turn into
romps for a time, then much systematic
gymnasium work could be laid aside. You
know how little need wholesome children
who play out of doors have for scientific
physical training You might have as lit
tie need of it if you would be as natural as
the youngsters are
The many systems that have been in
vented for physical development are used
because of the lack of perfect animal free
dom. They are of value to the giri who
lives in a hall bed room, or the one who
works at a desk all day, or the one who
lives so closely within four walls that she
never breathes deeply nor uses all her
muscles in the free way that child or
an animal does. They are part of our ar
tificial modern life. Prehistoric women did
not pay fifty dollars a term for instruction
in a fashionable gymnasium, Yet they were
a wholesome lot according 10 the modern
investigator who attempts to write their
unwritten history for them. l have very
little doubt that they romped.
Probably they romped with one another,
with their husbands and brothers, with
their children. They never took into con-
sideration which muscles were being de-
veloped, but they let all muscles have free
play and they were stronger than any of
We can't be primitive any more. That is
the penalty of civilization. AS long as We
have ceased to be simply natural, we must
take scientific means to develop our bod
les. But we can help matters along i'm
mensely by frolicking. The mental, moral
and ply steal gain would progress together.
Don't be afraid of being und;gnited Il
is your own fault if you romp in an undig-
lified fashion. 1t is not necessary. Stiff
ness and primness are often mistaken for
dignity. Learn to unbend. Real dignity is
something deeper than rigid muscles.
Lost Five Years.
An overworked girl know went to spend
an evening with some young friends, and
the next day she appeared looking as if she
had dropped off five years from her age.
She had been growing round shouldered,
lines had begun to appear between her
eyes. her complexion was sallow and her
eyes lifeess. This morning she was bright
of manner. strong of voice and her eyes
were sparkling.
What has happened to cheer You up and
make you so pretty?" l asked her.
I'm half ashamed to tell you what l
did last evening"" she said. Il visited some
young friends and found them playing like
ten-year-olds. They WerG: actually having
pillow fight and-I nightsas well own it
l joined them and fought 9lntilJ1 was out
of breath and my hair tousled and my col
lar rumpled l suppose it was rather
shocking of me. but l have been alone ana
at work for so long that it was like letting
the cork out of a bottle Suddenly"
I'll warrant that girl had nothing to be
ashamed of, and if she could have a rousing
pillow fight every evening of her life she
would be great deal prettier, healthier
and younger. 1t had relaxed her. In the
frolic she had forgotten care. had laughed
and breathed freely had been stimulated.
The physical and mental benefit showed
with wonderful plainness after even one
.1,,,
has always been said to make Jack a duh
boy, and 1t is even more likely to make
Jill a dull girl, for woman's work keeps
her within narrower and duller limits than
a mans 6.
Cures Dizziness.
A pillow fight taken daily is an excellent
pl prescription for dizziness. Find another girl
who will take the remedy with you. Put
on clothes that you need not think of,
then go to work, or rather to play, and
batter each other until you are GREATNESS
and laughing. Enjoy it. Make it meaa as
much fun to you as possible. Enjoyment
is a talent, and can be cultivated back.
We all had 1t in the beginning, but modern
itv is helping US to lose it.
Playing with the children is a splendid
way to start your blood to moving briskly
and to bring out the smiles that had been
hiding away from your face. The little folks
are pleased with such simple amusements.
they laugh so easily that their good spirits
will be contagious and you will be laughing
heartily and unaffectedly before you know
it.
Making Young Friends.
If you have no little people in your own
home, seek out some and make their ac-
quaintance. 1t will prove a profitable one.
If your life has a tendency to make you
older than your grandmother the more
children you take into it the better. If you
happen to know of some who are counted
SuperfiuOuS in their own homes, who are
always in the way and never have anybody
to play with them or take an interest in
their interests be sure that these are the
very ones for you to hobnob with. The sun
shine that you find yourself bringing into
their little lives will go d long way toward
Frightening your own.
Play horse with them. Be wild runaway
steed and take long races over the lawn or
up and down the hall. Get down on the
floor or the ground and play jacks or mar
bles or tops with them. Throw bean bags
for their amusement and your own stmula-
ton All of these simple little games help
in the limbering process. They will muss
you, so much the better. A woman who is
always afraid of being musSed loses the
beauty that she is trying to preserve. She
takes on a rigid anxious, ungraceful APP
pearance.
Cultivate the habit of laughing. 1t is
literally a muscular exercise. The muscles
of the trunk are brought into play when
you laugh heartily. You have sometimes
laughed till you were tired" have you not?
Those muscles were overtaXed. But it is
a good KIND of oVertaXing, and the more
they are used for this purpose the more
they will be able to stand
Don't Laugh Alone.
Some people have recommended laughing
as an exercise to be taken alone and in cold
blood, as you would take your dumbbells at
Il regular hour each day But it must be Il
mirthless kind of stage laughter that is pro-
duced in this way. You may be able to
train yourself to the point where you ex-
erc:se the muscles as you would in spon-
taneous laughter; but at least the spirit of
the thing is wanting, and this means great
deal-perhaps more than the mere physical
effort.
Find somebody to laugh with you, ana
then ma something to laugh over. Life is
full OF jokes, and the more you look for
them the more you will see them.
Incidentally, learn to laugh becomingly
While you are at it. This need not spoil
the spontaneity. Many women go through
Nlldeous facial contortions when they laugh,
and never know it, for they always see
their faces In repose when before mirror.
investigate this matter and find out
wnether you laugh as charmingly as pos
sible. Ii you are in the habit of drawing
your face unpleasantly, go to work to break
up the habit.