AMUSEMENTS FOR GIRLS.
Croquet is fashionable and useful, certainly better than nothing; but any game which can be played in a tight corset and long skirt cannot serve the muscles much; but it keeps the players out-doors, and so far is useful.
Skating is fashionable, and better than nothing; but the finest skating may be performed with arms folded; showing that the upper half of the body, which needs exercise ten-fold more than the lower half, receives little or nothing in this amusement. In addition to this, the sudden change from the furnace heat of our close houses to the piercing winds of the frozen pond, is often very damaging.
Dancing is beautiful and profitable. But the profit depends upon certain conditions, not always observed, viz., seasonable hours, healthy dress, and a pure atmosphere. Without these conditions dancing may be seriously mischievous.
Besides, it may be observed that dancing only brings into play the muscles of the legs and hips; while the arms and chest, which are dying for motion, are not even invited to join in the fun.
Walking might be spoken of as an amusement among those who walk with real gusto; but this snail pace, with the two hands crossed in front, can hardly be regarded as an amusement except to those who are amused with a funeral procession.
While walking is the best possible single exercise for reasons mentioned in another place, it is defective in the same particular mentioned in skating and dancing; viz., it brings into play principally the lower extremities, which already are well developed, and neglects the arms, shoulders and chest, which are starving for work. But I must not forget to speak very earnestly of the great value of walking when it is of a vigorous sort, and the arms are freely swung. In this way even the shoulders and chest perform a good deal of work.
I have spoken in a separate chapter of the great SCHREBER's invention for home exercise—the Pangymnastikon—which is not only the best means of training the upper part of the body that I have ever seen, but is really one of the most fascinating of amusements. The reader is referred to the chapter "THE PANGYMNASTIKON, OR HOME GYMNASIUM."
Battledoor, and Graces or Grace-Hoop, are capital amusements; and bring into varied and vigorous play the muscles of the upper part of the body; besides, the interest is permanent and constantly increases as the skill increases.
Base-ball clubs have been organized among young women, with the happiest results to their health, spirits, activity and grace. They look very pretty in their gymnastic costume, and really they play wonderfully well.
The great physiological need of our artificial life is something to save the upper part of the body from falling into weakness and deformity. Our exercises fall almost exclusively upon the lower half of the body—we walk, dance and skate; but women of the better class do nothing with their upper limbs except to dress and feed themselves. The result is that their arms become consumptively emaciated, their shoulder-blades project, their chests become thin, flat, concave, and the vital organs within are correspondingly weak and uncertain.