The Birmingham age-herald., 1910-09-22
From the New York Sun. f<n LEASE be seated and don't in-
 terrupt me. Don't speak,


 \ don't disturb me in any way and-don't lookr'
 These commands burst upon the ears of friend who called upon an actress and was shown into her drawing room
 'Sit down; try not to look surprise and well, as a special favor I'll let you watch me-" said the actress as the friend stood regarding her with amazed eyes. What am I learning to do? I'm learn ing to hobble, of course.
 Why? because in my new play there is society woman who always wears the latest oddities.
 Do I like it? do not. and if I were the audience I would boo 1t off the stage but as 1t is I am helpless. The lady is in financial trouble because of her ex- travagance in dress and there Is bill from her modiste. In one scene l stand and read aloud the items, and one item is hobble gown, price at present un- mentionable; and there I am-I must hobble or die.
 q loathe it. I have a friend. an ac- tress. who is pigeon toed. On the stage she subdues the tendency to pigeon toe little. but In the street she strikes out and toes in to her hearts content. The first time she put on a hobble skirt she donned 1t in fear and trembling for her modiste told her how difficult it was to walk in it without tripping; but to her astonishment nothing was easier. She walked at once and so proudly that she was a model to walkers. The modiste told her 1t was because she was pigeon toed.
 "If you are going to hobble prettily you must master these items:
 You must be quite loose around the waist line, as you can't be tied in around the belt and around the ankles, too.
 ''If you want to hobble you must learn to take short but quite decided steps. They are not exactly mincing, but they are not long. They are the brisk little steps of the military man who must keep In step with man shorter than himself. It is almost a repressed step.
 "To hobble picturesquely you must walk slowly. The woman who hurries in hobble skirt Is lost.
 "The woman who positively cannot wear a hobble is the tall woman who sticks her knees out as she walks. The hobbler must learn to keep her knees to herself, so to speak.
 "All hobble shoes should hayo a hril- liant polish; polished shoes look small. "Hobble shoes should be very lcng and have small toes, for the length of the foot does not show as conspicuousiy as the breadth. Long narrow shoes stuffed at xryt+f thing for those who have been tempted to hobble
 T have been taking physical culture lessons in connection with hobble skirts. As all the walking must be done with the upper muscles of the body it is neces- sary that the chest should become very full and firm. Here are the hobble exer- cises:
 Put on your hobble shoes, they are high-heeled, of course, and very long and very narrow. First try standing on your toes. This isn't easy, but it strengthens the calves. Walk and throw yourself forward now and then and try to balance. Throw yourself forward, but don't break the toe of your shoes. stand upright and lift your arms in front of you. Keep your finger tips cell | ing-ward and bend your body backward. Take care not to fall. This is to give you body balance.
 "Place footstool in the middle of the room and step upon it. Step off. After you have done this dozen times try two footstools. If you can't arrange to make steps out of them, then get stepladder; anything that will give you practice in stepping up an awkward step and down again. Tlis is to aceustom you to the cab step.