The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1912-10-06
ANNETTE KELLERMANNS
GOSPEL TO WOMANKIND
Says Health Is Her Religion, and that We Are
Never Sick When We Do Our Full Duty
to Our Bodies

second Mary Baker Eddy, preaching the
error or Illness" I told her eager to
get right down to the root OF the re-
iision which has given her the deserved
reputation OF being ''the most beautifully
formed woman of modern times
Error is hardly the word" she cor
rected- Sickness is more than error:
IL is SIM
1T would certainly be that for Won :.
l agreed, as Miss Kellermann stood he
lore me, a figure OF such exquisite pro-
portions that II would be an tnspiratIon
Tor sculptor, poet, or painter. ;
But that is all nonsense" she Told
me with an impatient shake of her bean
tiful head. ANY woman can be beau
tlrui II she has the energy and patience
Tor the work necessary to make herself
50. Why, when was a child 1 had 10
wear iron braces for an infirmity which
doctors thought I never could overcome.
But did / did, she cried happily.
Health Her Religion.
Health is my religion; you may pub
hsh tnat to the world. We are never
SICK II we do our full duty to our bodies.
l nave found out by experience that a
heaIthy body makes a healthy mind. Bur
IL Is Is not an easy thing to keen in
sood physical condition. 1t means hard
work all the time, seIf-denIal strength
or mind, and good Judgment. But N is
an worth while in the long run. for
heaIth means happiness. the kind of hap
piness We We're all intended to enjoy
"neh questioned concerning her ideas
OF Just how women should go about
acquiring the sort OF health and ma
netism Of which she is the eYnbodinent
MISS hellermann paid a high tribute 10
the American woman.
Inc American woman has a good
foundation upon which TO work Sba
possesses stamina, and takes readily 10
sports she said. adding that IL is a
great pity that the idea has heco,,a
rooted in the minds Of some foil tba,
woman must be mannish IL she ,akss
part In aquatics or other forms of atb-
letics. "a "'i'-
Inc Idea is all wrong" she went nm
10 say and should be fought against
oy women II does not follow that he
cause woman swims eight or ten hours
IN the water or goes through some SINH
lar uial OF strength. that she must be
nlannlsh in her manner or in her nbv-
sique. or be the possessor of great b,pcb-
ed muscles. Great harm is done nv a CO..
tam type OF woman who, when she he
comes interested in sports, affects man
hish ways. 1t isn't at all necessary
should BE n Joy.
With her natural taste for affiliate.
II should be a real joy TO the American
and figure '"i'h
What course do you advocsteq"
questioned
A careful attention to diet first NJ
an said the most perfect woman
ef sohaily' 1 do not believe in me-,
eating' and take just as little as nose
sioly can do not wish to seem q
Pruae, but l do not believe in eitbe-
urihklng or smoking for women. I am
women smoking VI
Next to diet comes exercise I-,,,.,
woman should take plenty Of free ever
III the open air, and take il consist
my Spasmodlc exercise does no good
=; personally, use no apparatus. bur 90
Tree exercises for three quarters
u an hour every day in the open air
Apdrt from these exercises won,-n
should dance and swim. These two .ra
my ideal exercises for WON, r.
ueep breathing necessary in swimming
IS great developer. and every muscle
. brought INTO play in this wonderful
sport 1t gives a woman supnIeness
ana grace. firmness. and endurance
4 ne human body is just a symbol re-
heclnS the care or lack of care We
give H. and, therefore. /; seems to me
toward it"
Miss Kellermann is an examnIs o-
physical perfection; living proof of
ner creed. Phidias never chiseIed out
ot marble a human form more divine
lhan hers- From 10000 applicants she
was chosen as model for the statue and
poster The Spirit of the West " for
me Panama Exposition, Prof. Dudley
sargent physical director of Har-
yard University. having described bar
Is Ihe most perfect woman"
When l spoke of these things Miss
n eliermann informed me that she
wished the public would forget sucb
erms as The divine venus" and "TGa
most perfect woman" and think of her
'nly as an artistic.
Physical Culture an Art
Physical culture is an art and ought
o be so considered" she said ..rbera
5 Just as much work, and perhaps a
title more, in attaining any degree of
mystical perfection as there is in pre-
'arihs Tor the grand opera stage or
sarhins 10 become violin virtuoso. 1
ave come to detest being regarded as
freak-a curiosity. The mere words
ne perfect woman drive me into
renzy Forget the phrases" she ordered
ne, to which 1 protested that fl was
ute impossible as long as she continues
achleVe so brilliant success in classic
anclng' pantomime, and diving and
quatic Accomplishments, all on which
ne reveals in her new productions of
Cndine' and THE Rose Of Mexico" In
'hich she last week brought the theater-
ding public of Baltimore to worship at
er shrine of grace and beauty, and in
mich she will be seen this week at the
'elasco Theater in this city.
AS Norman Hapgood, OF Golfers
Weekly, puts It:
To see Annette Kellermann is to in
ivine, unaided BY corsets and bigh-heeI
hoes, in trustful reliance on daily exer-
lse' plain cold water, and all the open
ir busy life viii permit She has
lade herself into likeness of Greek
culpture-the long, flowing lines, the
trength and definiteness of outline. tho
ouch OF austerity that clothes in
hastily those ladies OF the marble past"
And Miss Kellermann's gospel to you Is