The first of these principles is in physical education which gives the body its best appearance. As the body is brought more and more under contfl of the will, for the purpose of harmonizing the laws of life, one result is visible—the refinement of the physique. Eve thing in the world that arrives any where must pass through the process of refining. Let us consider temperance as it means tempering the body for grace. All this starts in the brain and is the result of intelligence and a graceful mind. We can so train our nerves that, they will work automatically for us- The fingers of the skilled musician, the hands of the painter, the speed of the expert typists, who can work when blindfolded, all prove that this is true. The nerves and muscles have been slowly tempered, or trained to express the mind. The highest form of physical expression, that resulting in perfect grace, cannot exist in the body except as it begins in the mind.
Health, grace and strength is every woman's birthright. Not the strength that delights in swelling muscles and swinging clubs, but the strength of poise and bodily control. What we need are exercises that demand quickness, agility, skill, dexterity, suppleness—in other words exercises that train the nervous system. The form of exercise in the curriculum of nearly every gymnasium simply bores one to extinction. We go through it perfunctorily and are glad when it is over, or frequently if we are a stay-at-home woman we buy a book on some system of exercises, often to reduce our weight, or to guard against expected embonpoint, and half-heartedly push—_ ourselves through the movements. Watch the children, they are splendid teachers in anything we wish to learn. They need only the amount of exercise which animal spirits secure for them.
Foreign Man Cuow Too Mucu.
Let us consider our diet. We eat far too much out here in the ast. Leb us eat a balanced amount of nourishing food, put on clothes that do not pinch or confine, and we are ready to consider exercise for grace.
Dancing is one of the best exercises if we do not over do it, or try to practice it in a smoke filled. stuffy room. In Java they have the right idea. They dance out of doors with nothing over their heads but the stars and the palm trees-We cannot do this in Shanghai for the climate is against it. but we can have more air in the places where we dance. Pay no attention to the people who say that certain dances are immoral. There are always the impure-minded who ig indecent in everything that is natural—they need not be reckoned with. Dance and enjoy yourself, and if you can learn fancy steps and postures, that bring all the muscles into play, so much the better.
Two of the most enjoyable exercises in the world—swimming and rowing, we have very little chance to indulge in out here. Every woman should learn to swim. There is nothing that makes one feel so happy and contented with life as a good swim. Riding, golf and tennis are all good exercises and they get us out in the open. There is no exercise more beneficial than a_good brisk walk. Take off the high-beeled, pointed-toed_ slippers' that are so popular in Shanghai, put on walking boots and a short skirt, and walk as if you meant it:
Rhythmic expression which corrects all habits of stiffness and selfconsciousness and makes for graceful suppleness will produce a beautiful ly. A beautiful body is one which is harmoniously developed in all parts, whose organs are formed as nature intended, and which perform their functions according to nature's laws. Any deviation from this standard is Grace is natural to but few, but can be acquired by all. The keynote of it is joyousness and that exists in the mind.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.