tume can compensate for manifest inconvenience to the wearer. No dress is sanctioned by good taste which does not permit, and seem to permit, the easy performance of any movement proper to the wearer's age and condition in life; for it defies the very first law of the mixed arts-fitness.

Form is the most important element of the absolute beauty of dress, as it is of all arts that appeal to the eye. The lines of costume should, in every part, conform to those of nature, or be in harmony with them. In color, another important element of beauty, no fine effects of costume are to be attained without broad masses of pure and positive tints. The various tints of brown may be employed with fine effect in composing a costume; but the best hues for a calisthenic dress are blue, gray, red, green, purple, and scarlet.

The illustrations here introduced give a correct idea of the style of the costume best adapted to calisthenic and gymnastic exercises. Indeed, all the elementary requisites of dress are here combined, rendering its adaptation perfect to every purpose for which a costume is intended.

In Fig. 11, the drapery is not, as is too frequently the case, deformed and hateful; for its lines conform to those of the parts of the person which it conceals. With what completeness, ease, and comfort it clothes the entire figure of the wearer! There is not a line about it which indicates compression, or one expressive of heedless laxity. Both limbs and trunk are amply draped; and yet how plainly it is seen that the wearer is well developed and untortured. The waist, girdled in at the proper place, is of its natural size. How expressive the figure is of health, and grace, and bounteous fullness of life!

The dress opens in front, and is both more convenient and more beautiful than one which opens behind. It is so constructed that the wearer's limbs are as free as air; that she can even clap her hands, with arms vertical, above her head without the slightest discomfort. The gown is short, and the skirt is full, reaching only to about the middle of the calf of the leg; and therefore, though worn without hoops,

it does not fall closely around the figure. The trowsers, which are also full, are gathered in at the ankle by a plain. band, which has a small ruffle at the lower edge. The trimming, in moderate quantity, is put on the principal seams and the edges. The material, at all seasons of the year, both for male and female, should be flannel.

It will be observed that the gentleman's dress (Fig. 10) is loose and comfortable. The primary object of the costume is not to exhibit rounded and shapely limbs and well-developed muscles, but to give ease and comfort to the student in all of his positions and movements. The military jacket, without unnecessary padding, is selected. It has no useless skirt, and the collar is neither high nor stiff. The trowsers, which are very loose, are gathered in and buttoned at the ankle, or fastened with an elastic band or a small strap.

Students may exercise in their street dresses. The gentlemen will remove their coats. The ladies will use elastic bands to sustain their skirts, so that the wearer's legs and feet may have free play. Bathing dresses will very generally be found pretty and appropriate for these exercises.

THE

GENERAL DIVISIONS.

HE general divisions of Calisthenics embrace CHEST, SHOULDER, ELBOW, ARM AND HAND, HEAD AND NECK, TRUNK AND WAIST, KNEE, LEG AND FOOT, AND COMBINED EXERCISES.

It will be remembered that the execution of the following exercises is done by all the students simultaneously and equally, so that each position is taken and each motion is begun by all at the same moment, and each class of movements is executed in the same time, which is to be marked as described p. 124.

In executing the movements, the right side will have precedence of the left; the front of the rear. Movements to the sides will always precede correspondent ones to the front and rear.

I.

CHEST EXERCISE.'

FIRST SERIES.

First Position.

No. 1.-Immediately after the formation of the class, as is prescribed on p. 125, the instructor commands: 1. Attention-CLASS; 2. Chest Exercise; 3. First Series; 4. First-POSITION.

No. 2.-On hearing the first word of the first command, the students fix their attention; at the second, they always take the habitual or military position, p. 120, which brings the ear, shoulder, hip, knee, and ankle into line, as seen in Fig. 12.

No. 3.-When the fourth command is given, the students will take the first position, as represented by Fig. 13. The fists are placed together upon the breast, with their backs front, and the elbows are elevated as high as the shoulders.

2

No. 4-First Movements-RIGHT. At this command, the students, marking time by counting, or otherwise, as prescribed p. 124, will describe the arc A B, and recover the commencing position four times. The outward motions are the accented or more forcible ones. On the fourth outward motion the instructor will command, LEFT, when the students, as soon as they recover the commencing position, describe the arc C D four times. On the fourth outward motion with the left hand, the instructor commands, ALTERNATE, when the students, after recovering the commencing position, describe the arcs A B and CD alternately four times (twice to each arc), commencing with

'Chest Exercise. As the first three classes of movements are made from and terminate with the chest, and all the movements from the four positions of this general division bring into play the chest-muscles, and as a more convenient classifi

cation is thus secured, the first general division is called Chest Exercise; though, in a strict classification, it would be termed Elbow Exercise.

2

Music, PHONETICS, and other VOCAL EXERCISES to accompany the Movements, pp. 142 to 152

the arc A B. At the command, BоTH, the arcs will be described four times simultaneously. It will be seen that these arcs are so described that, at their terminations в and D, the backs of the fists are to the rear.

No. 5.-Second Movements'-RIGHT. The remaining commands of this class of movements, and the number and order of the movements, are the same as in No. 4; but the motions are made from the first position directly out at the sides and behind, as far as possible, the arcs described being horizontal.

B

D

FIG. 12.

FIG. 13.

No. 6.-Third Movements-RIGHT. The motions of this class are made up and off at an angle of 45 degrees from the first position. The number and order of the movements are the same as in No. 4. On reaching the points E and F, the arms will be straight, and the backs of the fists to the rear.

'Second Movements. - The great point in this class of movements is to hold the arms perpendicular to the body, and throw them backward as far and as violently as possible, thus

stretching the collar-bone and flattening the shoulder-blades. This gives room to the lungs in front, enlarges the chest, and tends to cure round shoulders.

Second Position.

No. 7.-The instructor commands, Second-POSITION; and the students instantly, at the second word of command, place their elbows by their sides, in line with the waist, and their fists against their shoulders, backs front, as represented in Fig. 14.

A

C

D

FIG. 14.

FIG. 15.

No. 8.-First Movements-RIGHT. At this command, the right forearm is carried directly down, as at A, Fig. 14, and returned to the commencing position four times; when, at the command, Left, four corresponding motions are made with the left forearm, terminating at B; then, at the command, ALTERNATE, four downward motions are made alternately; and finally, at the command, BOTH, four downward motions are described with both forearms simultaneously.

No. 9.-Second Movements-RIGHT. The remaining commands, and the number and order of the movements, are the same as in No. 8; but the motions are made directly front, by straightening the arms and recovering the commencing position.