Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1872-09-05
aaH. G. IN SWIMMING
Teaching Young Ladies' How TO
Bunet the Waves - An Expert
Rather. FAAt rs" ~"


A person who writes letters to the New
York Commercial Advertiser from Fire
Island, gives a most amusing account of
Mr.. Greeley's performances in the surf:
why he can swim like duck" said
an enthusiastic Greeleyite as he stood
upon the beach to-day, and watched the
vegetable candidate for the Presidency
buffet the billows of the Atlantic like a
shirted dolphin. But the next moment
a mighty breaker seized the bold swim
mer and stood him upon his head, his
heels beating the thin air in desperate
struggle to alter this abnormal attitude
/ suppose there we're two or thrae hun
dred guests, farmer folks, ETC., on the
shore at the time, The news that Hor-
ace was going out to wrestle with Nep-
tune resulted in the forming of q large
procession, which matched in good order
to the scene of hostilities, and took up
such favorable positions as the nature of
the ground would permit As the yete
ran norman emerged from the bath
house the crowd yelled approvingly
and the boys SHE'D clam-shells athim
in an encouraging way. His Apollo-like
form never appeared to better adyan-'
tage, and were it not for the slight ten
dency of his right. hip to- play see.saw
with the left (producing a peculiar
shambling gait, he might be said to
have advanced " gracefully " to the
water line Half-a. dozen young lady
bathers had placed themselves under his
protection for plunge in the brine.
|u"O, dear, Mr. Greeley, know lean
never stand it, said beautiful blonde
as a big wave hurst; enveloping her little
feet in the creamy foam. = 'vlA pa
e Ps6aw, my dear, you needn't be
afraid. Ill protect you. And so he
did, to the great uneasiness of her lover,
who beheld the dexterous veteran mis-
taking her neck for her waist) encircle
her with his arm, and drag her after him
as though he meant to drown her. In
four feet Of water they suddenly disap-
peared from view, and reappeared alter
five seconds, the young lady in a terrible
state of fright. The kind old man en-
deavored to pacify her
STEADY, my dear" he said, endeavor-
ing to hide his own nervousness, there's
no use of getting Eighty. II is natural
for the human family to swim"
20, Mr.. Greeley, how can you say
so? exclaimed the wretched maiden,
wildly squirting the sand and brine from
her mouth.
" You amt accustomed to it, my
child; calmly endure it a little longer
and you'll like it.
mo, never, never. | want TO be un-
natural. don't like it, and never will.
! don't want to belong to the human
family 30 Mr. Greeley fand--2 here
another huge breaker cut short her
frenzy, and, lifting both bathers, hurled |
the Sage headlong over his fair charge. |
A volley of cheers arose from the beach |
as he recovered him sell, quickly seized
her by the back of her neck and one
leg, and held her aloft, dripping and
struggling with the fine energy that q
female can exertunder the pressure Of 7
rage, modification and fright.
, She still lives, family murmured an
old lady near me, who, when a child,
had been dandled on John Quincy
Adams knee. gen a
Come, that's played out, old man.
Fetch her ashore" calculated an angry
suggestively gathering
handful of sand, 2 . thought you knew
better than to be yankiDg a poor girl
around that way" /" fo pV9NeQ.l 0t
But by this time the horror-stricken
and incensed lover had waded in, boots
and all, and rescued his sweetheart from
the perilous clutches Of the chivalric
herman, who stood gazing stupidly after
them with his back to the sea, until the
waters, collecting their strength, struck
him abeam with a mighty force, aud
landed him sprawling far up on the
beach. Thus ended the sweet old phi.
attempt TO prove what I" /
know about natation, and compared to
it, il is conceded that what he knows
lbopt farming is small potatoes, and few
h heap. .-.-- --- --.l-