Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1905-11-18
Grace of Manner Wanted.

We are not prepared, as q rule. to
admit that our grandmothers, and their
mothers before them, were very wise in
their respective genera tons but Mt least
we are bound to acknowledge that they
certainly much better understood in
those days how to produce and cultivate
grace of manner and bearing in girls
than we do now. w ehave gymnasia
which they had not: we are taught
physical culture on the latest scientific
principles-of this they understood moth
ing.
Our girls live in the open air. walk
bicycle. motor play all manner of ath-
letlc games, while their grandmother
and great-grandmothers were reared like
dollhouse plants
We no longer squeeze in our waists or
try to keep our feet small. as they did
and yet. wirhai, the horrible truth must
be admitted and faced that we possess
none of their grace. that our department
is faulty. and that the pretty lines of
face and figure which all women of gen
tie birth possessed half a century or
more ago have not come to us.
And, finally, that we are sadly def
Gent in the courtesy which then secuted
wOman's natural attribute but Which,
rs matter of fact, was taught her from
babyhood, like stitchery and the use Of
the globes. Something must be rotten
in the state of Denmark to have brought
about the ungracefulneSs of the modern
girl, and as we are always drilling mas
saying and developing ourselves, IL is
becoming abundantly clear that our so
much despised and pitied forbears did
know a great deal more than we do
about training up a girl in the graceful
way she should go, and turning her out
a courteous, charming woman.
!. /. 4.
pertinent. Our girls never learn this at
home, at school. or in the dancing class
What girl is NOW taught how to come
into Il room, to enter and leave car
rage with grace, to make bow prupcr-
ly, to move everywhere with ease aud
yet display her figure to the best aayan-
tage! Few modern women can walk,
dance, or stand, hold up their skirts,
greet their friends by an inclination Of
the head or grasp of the hand in a hor-
oughly graceful fashion, yet even we
see for ourselves what care is taken to
drill them and how they have Neen
physically trained till they have grown
alarmiugly big This then is MOI the
way to do it, and if ever we are gain
to have race of women. who can aHrry
themselves well, impress other nations
by their gentleness and graceful bea-ng,
and restore to England the "cultivaled'
manner. we shall most certainly have to
bark back to the methods of the old
fashioned schoolmiStresses aud teachers
Of department, keen our girls from aver-
much hockey. and insist that they shall
be ''ladylike" above all things, We
shall, doubtless. have hard fight t0 get
back to this state Of affairs. The mod
eru girl Is very much out of hand Mt
present, and. like Harriet who fatally
played with matches. she win nor take
advice but one has hopes that there
will be n reaction, and in due course we
shall revert to the old methods Of teach
ing the art of feminine grace.
There IS no reason why physical CIl-
ture and all outdoor exercises should not
have due regard paid to them hGt in
combination we must rigidly enfoTc aase
of movement, quietness Of mannc., TO-
gether with a certain formalty. les. elf
consciousness and less speed and general
oifh0ndeduess ladies Pictorial