HOW TO BE TALL.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 8100, 27 August 1904, Page 3

HOW TO BE TALL.

25.8 &irl Noel Seem Short Now. (Ns\» Yer* Sun.) "Why be short?" asked the physical culture teacher, looking down a long line of girls, big and little, all going through the same gymnastic feats. "Why docs any woman remain dumpy when she can just as well be lithe? Why does she remain •pawed off,' when she can just as well be tall? "It used to be that all women had to remain just as they were created. The girl who grew up short remained short. The girl who grew up tall remained tall. And the girl who was undersized remained undersized to the end of her days. " But now it is different. The girl who is too tall can diminish her apparent inches by many little tricks known to the physical culture teacher, and the girl who is nondescript can add a little distinction to her figure. " As for the very short girl, the girl who is fivo feet or thereabouts, she has; her fig" ure absolutely under control. She is shorter than Nature intended her to be, and, with a little coaxing, Nature wili remedy, her defect. " The first task of the short girl is to get thin. Sh© must reduce until- her weight is in periect proportion to her height. "When she has reduced her weight to the correct proportion, then she is ready for the work of milking herself taller. "There are several theories about growing tall. One of thesa is that as a woman takes off her pounds she adds to her height. This is based upon the supposition that the human frame, if heavily weighted with fat, sinks a little. "Thus a Viennese woman took on extra pounds so rapidly that she became alarmed. . She added nearly five pound?, a month toher weight, and, at the end of a year, was fifty pounds heavier than tiie year before. The second year she added another fifty pounds, and "when she consulted a reduction specialist she weighed 2501 b. "The beauty doctor measured his patient's height." Then, ye be reduced her weight, he measured her again. " He found by actual measurement that, ns each 251 b came off, the height of the woman increased a little. It was very little, to be sure, but it was something. When she had got back to Iter normal weight the difference in her height was quite noticeable. " So, 1 if the ehort girl will reduce, she will find that she has taken the first step toward a better figure. She will be a little taller, and. though the difference is not great, it will count. *' You see those two girls struggling with the pole? Well, they were once very short girls. They have each added an inch, a>nd are on the second inch now. And this is what they did : — "They hoth reduced until they were in proper proportion to tbeir height. Then they rectified their personal defects. The personal defect of the one nearest was round shoulders. Her lessons were in straightening up. "To straighten up, the short girl was compelled to Icam three things : How to | throw back her shoulders ; how to breatho deeply ; how to hang by her arms. " The stretching exercises nro excellent for girls who want to'ybe taller, but one must be in perfect condition to take them. Unless you are well and strong, ifc will injure you to stand and reach high in the air. "Those who are in good physical condition can lie down and stretch, first one leg and then the other. They, can at the same time stretch the arms over the head. There in something in this exercise which builds up the muscle. As the muscle is built up the body grows taller. The aid oi high heels is only a -very temporary one. The spine is apt to suffer therehy. So also is' the tricjc of building up the hair on top of the head to make oue taller. The result is not permanent. "Short women, must build themselves up naturally and legitimately. And when they do this they become much more attractive than tall girls. " The short girl should make herself very supple,, and she ehould do this by massage with cold cream." ,