A GRACEFUL CARRIAGE.

Taranaki Herald, Volume L, Issue 12287, 20 June 1903, Page 7

A GRACEFUL CARRIAGE.

The preliminary step in acquiring fy graceful carriage in tittiug, ' stondinpr, and' walking is to stand correctly and practise 1 balancing or posing. Baise the htels quickly from the ground and «tand as- high on- tiptoe, as possible^ Then lower the heels with moderate speed, without tipping the weight 'of the body backwards. Again/ keeping "&ie' He'6ls on the ground, lift the balls o£ the feet and put them--do\vn with a slight pressure, this way it is possible to learn hot? to stnnd \ correctly, with the weight evenly balanced upon ,the feet. Draw tho

knees in ilrmTyC Draw the hips "well back. • The chesi nuist be thrown out, j 'and then the shoulders will drop down , f and back, as they should. ' j When tol(J^o throw cut the chest, it is a good isea at the same t\me to ,! raise the head sightly, and after that I draw tho chin in. If the body can I tiow sway easily back and forth from the feet up the position is correct. To learn to sit gracefully is an art, not an instinct. The woman who understands the art gives no evidence of tho dominance of one part of her phyvsique over another. Jsov does she lounge. She sits erect. Ereutness of the trunk, a good pose of the head, and graceful disposition of the- lower limbs are necessary if one would sit well. When sitting at a table or desk to write, tho . bending should be from the hip join :s, when it is necessary to loan over, and never 1 from fcho waist. ' The fatigue of sewing is trebled when a woman sits with beni shoulders, curving the spine above tho wnisfc, and' iho'' resulting cramped ' chest depresses all the vital organs, fdrcing them from one to three inches below their normal position. Above all, it is important for the short person to sit erect, for, when in a perfect -y upright position, one m:iy actuafly gain an inch or two in height. Tim woman who knows how 'to* sit and stand erect can apparently add to the height of her figure and impress beholders with a far greater sense of' cjignity than another with natural advantages indifferently cultivated. She also grows more of a thoroughbred in looks and movements. . It is good practice to hold the body -perfectly erect for a few moments daily, without touching the chair back with the body. Sit well toward the front edge of the chair;, with the right; foot ,slightly in advance of the lef b, ready to rise quickly without help from the hands. .