Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1908-04-16
SCHOOLS OF DEPORT-
MENT REVIVED
They Are Now Teaching Young Societ Y
Girls How to Appear mt Court.

(FrOnl the LONDON Daily Mall)
There are two doors in tho room and !
rs the long procession of girls marches
out of one each girl gracefully wheels
around and drops Il deep courtesy to the
duenna, who stands in the centre of the
apartment. her watchful and critical
eyes regarding her pupils steadfastly. In
at the other door the girls arrive, bow
to second mistress, and they pass
the head" make a reverence as pro-
found as before.
1t is the autumn term in n girls fin
ishing school and the pupils who are
being tutored in the foregoing manner
will next year make their first reverence
to their king and queen at court on their
Introduction into society. 1t Is their last
few weeks at school. and the "cmbro-
deries" of manner and of movement are
being carefully insisted upon by their
mistress.
In the modern girl the modern mistress
of department finds maleablc stuff.
Trained in the gymnasium from her
earliest days her limbs are supple and
her movements under command but
there is in some instances a thought
Of too much force about the girl of sew
cntecn.
She must learn rot only TO courtesy
but to walk across a room without be-
traying that sclf-conscous air that re-
suits in such awkard and angular move
ments; she must accomplish the act OF
shaking hands not with the zeal Of the
schoolgirl. who is apt to squeeze the
hands of those she likes so closely that
their owners scream aloud with pain.
nor with the emphatic nonchalance of
the utterly indifferent. but with Just the
proper amount of fervor and frankness
that makes the custom so acceptable
and charming.
All this knowledge tho mistress Of dc
pertinent imparts. well the side
issues of sitting and standing gracefully.
listening to conversation intelligcntly aud
without betrayinE impatiencc. doing
nothing without fidEeting in a tircsomc
manner. and so forth.
For many years the teaching OF do
pertinent has been allowed TO decline;
it is revived now as an outcome OF the
we'll known prediction evinccd in high
society for the gentle girl opposed to
the hoyden of athletic aspect who was
the type most apparent at the beginning
of this century.
A very famous mistress of department
teaches her girls the game Of hall ShH
has been busy teaching this exercise for
years and years as we'll as the use Of In
dan clubs and a very pretty fan ex-
crcise. and Il is noticeable that among
he. pupils are included the most elegant
and justly admired members of society
to-day.
The game OF ball was practlsed by the
Greeks in far-off classical days, and then
MS now there was Astounding beauty In
it. Apart too. from the very obvious
fact that it is beautiful to watch and OF
very great fascination to the player.
II is productive of symmetry Of figure
and elegance of carriage. bestowing in
particular grace to the throat and
shoulders and roundness to the arms.
The eyes, too. are trained by the cease
less watchfulness required while throw
Ing the ball from hand to hand round
Me back under the arms and in various
other gyrations.
Fan drill will appeal more forcibly to
demoiselles whose last school term has
arrived The movements partake of the
nature Of those required to make the
court courtesy, leading up to them by
series or poses. each one an epitome of
elegance and very chara cteristic of the
various movements of the minuct
dance in which the fan plays a prom
inent part.
Turling and unfurlng the fan calls
into evidence the truth of tho wrist and
the display Of pretty hand the head
is raised or depressed in order that pon:
may be given TO the expression the fan
helps to make manifest and the move
ments of the arms, of great Importance
when Gn awkward girl has to be drilled
into grace, must he propcdly controlled.
Undoubtedly there is excellent use IN
this apparently simple course Of drill