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Show I m PRACTICAL TALKS BY THE j?" 1 HI APRIL GRANDMOTHER ' HI C V ELL developed schoolgirls, versed i VV iu gymnasium exercises, still have u number of things to learn about keeping the figure supple," remarked the April Grandmother as her second granddaughter grand-daughter began to flood a saucer of oatmeal oat-meal with thick, rich cream, "and one of those things is how to prevent the accumulation accumu-lation of flesh upon the ribs. Oatmeal, perhaps the most nourishing of nil cereals, will put lajers of avoirdupois above the waist iu short order ami quickly change a figure of reedliko proportions into one of ponderous girth. Not only is this food fattening of iUclf but it is usually palatable pala-table only when covered with sugar and cream, two notable flesh producing articles of diet. The girl whose breakfast U not complete without a cereal would better 'stick to some form of dried wheal or corn, warmed and crisped over a fire, but flavored fla-vored only with salt-.i condiment which would not in a lifetime add an ounce to the weight, but which does help to clear the complexion if taken in regufar quantities. "Baked benns!" exclaimed the April Grnndmother in response to n query from her eldest granddaughter. "They nrp stifl with starch. That makes thom the ideal nourishment for a lumnorjack. but absolutely abso-lutely destructive to the figure of a girl whose chief duty h to appear promptly at throe daily meals. Beans, baked or boiled, prepared with pork or molasses, cushion the ribs with fat and arc but ono step iu jndviihce 'of potatoes as a slendernees de-jstroyer, de-jstroyer, y , j "Thick .soups, more vicious thiln eithef oatmeal, beans or potatoes, Increase the girth both above and below the waist line. If after reading this caution a girl who is predisposed to fnt persists in regularly partukiug of chowders and kindred liquid foods, that is positive proof thnt she prefers pre-fers to pamper hu stomach rather than to preserve her shnpe. And her punishment punish-ment will be" (he April Grandmother paused before solemnly voicing her warning warn-ing "the , having to wear substantial, closely boned and tightly laced stays in-btead in-btead of a feather light, flexible and absolutely abso-lutely comfortable corset. "If flesh has alrcndy accumulated upon the ribs nud about the hips," continued the April Grandmother, "giving up the chief producers of it will not promptly cnu3c it to vanish. The avoirdupois must be driven nway by harsh treatment like slapping the offending portions of the body with the palms of the bauds, swinging swing-ing the upper section of the trunk side-wise side-wise and the legs backward and forward nud endeavoring to bow in Japanese fashion touching the floor with the forehead, fore-head, All of these exercises will greatly fatigue the fat girl, but they will not be likely to tire her as much as overhearing her friends assure ench other that she 'looks a horror.' "In, ordej:to bo .supple looking a girl positively iuus,t attain slender arms wjietlu'r or not those members are naturally natu-rally fat. Rich gravies and meats put tihsuo on the .anus njd, unfortunately, such weight cannot be slapped or worked off. Only 'a diet of chicken or turkey breast, varied by sauculcss fish dishes, will rid the arms of their ponderous uu-p(aranceflai)d uu-p(aranceflai)d the owner of them must al.o break, herself of consuming as much meat as her appetite craves. To exist wholly on tea, toast and the above the u I ground vegetables for a few days at a time won't harm the fat armed "girl, although al-though the same course would work havdc with the-healrh of her fragile sister who has no reserve force upon which to full back. "Were any one of my granddaughters uuable. because of their accumulation of avoirdupois, to move about easily," re. marked the April Grandmother, looking complacently at the trim figure of her three descendants, "I should instst that .she try the grape cure. That sort of diet takes the flohh about evenly from the body, but particularly from the arms and buck, leaving the throat and neck round and firm. Of course a girl could not begin all at once to live upon grapes. Fim she would have a half pouud of them, instead of rolls, with her morning coffee. After a week or so she would have an all grape luncheon daily, Dnd in the course of a few months she would so crave grapes that sho would demand them for each meal. But by that time she would probably havo lost enough flesh to make her gracefully slender, and (he grnpe appetite would havo to be gently suppressed lest she become so thin as to look cadaverous and old. "Between slendcrnes.s and leanness there is no clearly defined line, although the difference between those two conditions condi-tions at once strikes the beholder. How shall I describe: it?" The April Grandmother Grand-mother pondered for a moment. "Shall I sny .that a softly rounded, slender-girl looks fascinatingly fragile, whilo 'the i really thin one not only appears illvnoui ' ished but lacks the captivating qunllty which should distinguish tho budding woman of gentle birth?" |