The Black range. (Robinson, Socorro County, N.M.) 1882-1897, 1883-06-29
Wading in the Surf.

Wading in the Surf.
This is the season when many maid
ems enjoy sitting down upon the yell
low sand, taking off shoes and stock
ings and wading in the surf. The pro-
pensity for wading which is deeply
planted in the female bosom is unex-
plicahle. Unless a girl has the influenza
or "a bunion, she cannot resist the temp
tation to paddle about in the salt water
and get her clothing uncomfortably
wet. This is a subject full of interest
TO the philosopher, from the casting
aside of the shoes and stockings to their
resumption. 1t is u fact pretty gener-
ally known in male circles that ladies
prefer sitting on the ground when pull
ing on their stockings to occupying a
chair or bench. A person who had
some doubts as to this, once made a
series of experiments on beach where
a lot of girls came every day to wade.
About an hour before the arrival of the
nymphs he had comfortable bench
and some camp chairs con veyed to th e
beach. Then disguised as fisherman,
watched the result. The girls came
down to the sand, wondered who was
kind enough to place the benches there,
sat upon them, confessed they were
just delightful and seemed perfectly
and unrestrainedy happy. The angler,
chuckled with glee. He had disproved
mouldy theory. But his satisfaction
was short-hved. When the wading
time arrived, they Topped from the
benches like flock of sparrows, sat on
the beach and tugged away at shoes
and stockings in the old fashion.
On the following day the philoso
pher determined to give his experiment
every chance, had quantity of empty
oyster cans, broken bottles, and rub
bish strewn along the beach, and again
took his rod and basket and watched.
The girls were little dismayed, but
set to work industriously and soon had
a clear space on which they squatted
not taking the least notice of the
benches. The philosopher put up his
rod and walken sadly away. The habit
is an lncurable one. Eve must have
sat her fair form down in the garden
of Eden when adjusting her first gar
ment from the historic fig tree. and left
the habit as an inheritance TO daugh-
tiers for all time.
Talking of fig leaves suggests the
curious contrast that wading in the
surf presents. Take modest. prudish
little maiden, one who would rather
her skirt should get muddied on a
street crossing an winters day than
the glance of man should rest on her
ankles, and place her on the sand by
the surf. She is seated at once. shoes
and stockings are taken off, ne matter
how large male audience is present.
out she goes. The limpid water plays
wooingly about her ankles, and so cool
ing and refreshing is it to the feet. CoD-
fined for hours in tight shoes, that she
pulls her skirts still higher up until the
fringe Of that garment, which CORES
ponds to the covering that arrogant
wives are said to wear, is revealed; she
sees no impropriety in the act, and even
should she give her garments still an
other boost, and disclose trihe of the
plump anatomy that lies about the
knee, her face Is free from blushes, for
she knows not shame. And this be-
cause the great kind sea. in all nature
the grandest, the most soothing. the
most enjoyable, fills her soul with ex-
quisite pleasure, that she is perfOrce
natural, and her mind Is far above the
grosser trihes of human life. For some
time after she leaves the water this
same feeling remains. She will pull up
her stockings with delightful abandon,
but then she is no longer the child of
the ocean, all the earth comes back
again, and she will insist on her escort
getting over fence before her. and
keeping his back turned while she fol-
lows him, lest her skirts should become
disordered in the passages. F. Ex-
change.